Community Aid and Resource Exchange
Mutual Aid and Direct Services
C.A.R.E. is CDP’s flagship mutual aid program that provides essential resources to unhoused neighbors and at-risk community members through weekly distribution drives.
Operating from the Global Kitchen at the University of Denver, our C.A.R.E. volunteers prepare freshly-cooked hot, nutritious meals and distribute them alongside hygiene kits, clothing, and emergency supplies to our unhoused community members. Along with the hot meals, C.A.R.E. teams also distribute non-perishable food and other essentials during high-need seasons.
C.A.R.E.’s street medicine team provides emergency first aid and harm reduction during these weekly drives. As a Colorado Naloxone Bulk Fund grantee since 2023, our harm reduction and health education work also includes overdose prevention and training in addition to the first aid and direct care services.
As of January 2026, we have distributed over 15,000 hot meals to our community members in need
Key Impact Metrics
- Over 15,000+ hot meals distributed to date
- 770+ hygiene kits distributed
- 590+ naloxone doses distributed (Colorado Naloxone Bulk Fund grantee since 2023)
- Hundreds of overdose-related casualties prevented
- Emergency clothing and blankets distributed during harsh weather every winter since 2021
- 50+ street medicine drives providing first aid and basic medical care
Help us to keep caring for our neighbors
Service Philosophy
CARE operates with a harm reduction philosophy, building trust with community members through consistent, non-judgmental service delivery that meets people where they are.
