About

The Denver Inner City Parish loves and supports individuals and families in our community, empowering them to break the cycle of poverty.

The word parish means “community” and the DICP is committed to community. We are a human services nonprofit. The Parish elevates community through its community programs.

Empowering People ~ Building Community ~ Saving Lives

Our Mission

The Denver Inner City Parish loves and supports individuals and families in our community, empowering them to break the cycle of poverty.

Our Goals

Education and Youth Development – focusing on education and development so at-risk youth create larger visions for their lives and become role models for future generations.
Hunger Relief – meeting clients’ basic needs and reducing food insecurity.
Health and Wellness – increasing access to and consumption of healthy foods, access to nutrition and resource education, and increasing access to active lifestyle options by participants.
Community Support – providing services and resource and benefit navigation support for people of all ages.

Our Beginning

During the 1950s, many middle-income families moved out of Denver’s inner city and to the suburbs. Many churches also left at this time to follow their congregations. Unfortunately, the churches had played a critical role in offering services and programs for low-income families in these neighborhoods. Food banks, after-school programs, and programs for senior citizens were among those offered by the departing churches. As the churches and their programs left, there was nothing in place to meet the needs of the low-income families who remained.

Denver Inner City Parish (DICP) was established in 1960 in response to the growing number of impoverished families living in Denver’s West Side neighborhood who were unable to meet their basic living needs. Since that time, DICP has stayed true to our mission of providing programs and services for lower-income families, and we have expanded our programs to include the entire Denver metro area. DICP focuses on areas of critical need in the community, specifically education and youth development, hunger relief, health and wellness, and community support. DICP serves Denver’s at-risk communities through programs that relieve suffering, promote self-sufficiency, enrich lives, and address obstacles associated with poverty.