About Us
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 DICP is committed to community. We are a human services nonprofit. The Parish elevates community through its community programs.
Board of Directors & Staff
The Denver Inner City Parish is fortunate to have an amazing group of Denver leaders serving on our Board of Directors.
OUR TEAM
Board of Directors
Oscar Olivas --- Board Chair
Andrea Barela --- Director
Adrian Castro --- Director
Marion Kalb --- Director
Annie Nestor --- Director
Michael Bruno--- Director
Steve Stutzman --- Director
Larry Martinez --- Executive Director
Staff
Larry Martinez – Executive Director
Mark Oleksik – Controller
Jason Torrez – Program Director
Reuben Gregory – Food Pantry Manager
Esther Winner - Food Pantry Assistant
Amanda Berry - Mobile Pantry Coordinator
Maria Mendoza - Food Pantry Assistant
Alex Romberg – Lead Care Navigator
Rita Jaramillo - Care Navigation Coordinator
Esmeralda Martinez – VeggieRx Coordinator
April Thompson – Veggie Rx Program Assistant
James Thompson - Veggie Rx Program Assistant
Brandon Abeyta – Greens-N-Grains Food Truck Coordinator
Sunshine Obadiah – Greens-N-Grains Food Truck Assistant
Erica Gonzalez - Kitchen Manager
Anne Kleinkopf – Immigrant Center Co-Director
Dave Kleinkopf – Immigrant Center Co-Director
Veronica Byrne – Parish Seniors Director
Tynisha Doakes – Parish Seniors Outreach & Box Deliveries
Raymundo Gonzalez - Parish Seniors Transportation
Many wonderful AARP & SER National Workers
Empowering People • Building Community • Saving Lives
Our History
Though Denver Inner City Parish (DICP) is a secular non-profit, it developed from the work of the East Harlem Protestant Parish, which launched the small but nation-wide Inner City Parish movement with other locations in Chicago, Cleveland, and New Jersey. The goals of the Inner City Parish movement were to foster social change and social action at the local level, serving those experiencing the effects of poverty through community-informed programming. DICP has kept the name Parish to emphasize work in a given geographical community, and though DICP originally served residents of West Denver, it now serves people from all over the Denver metro area and anyone who comes in the door. All DICP’s programs are secular, excluding a non-denominational community worship group.
DICP was established in 1960 in the wake of an exodus of middle-income families from the inner city to the suburbs. Many Denver churches followed their congregations, leaving gaps in community services, including food banks, after-school programs, and programs for senior citizens, that churches had once provided to low-income families in the neighborhood. Since that time, DICP has stayed true to its core mission of providing programs and services for lower-income families and has expanded its programs to include the entire Denver metro area. DICP’s principal goal is to empower the community to break the cycle of poverty.
DICP focuses on areas of critical need in the community, including health and nutrition, aging, hunger relief, education, community support, and immigrant support. DICP’s programming is broad, diverse, and flexible to best meet the changing needs of participants. DICP serves Denver’s at-risk communities through programs that relieve suffering, promote self-sufficiency, enrich lives, and address obstacles associated with poverty. Through collaborations, partnerships, and volunteers, DICP offers high-quality, consistent services to the community members who utilize its programs. DICP believes in building broad community capacity and working with a variety of community and government partners.
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 Vision
DICP envisions that our community has the economic opportunities, tools, and resources to lead healthy and successful lives.
Our Values
Community: DICP believes that a healthy community is one where people of varied economic statuses have equal opportunities. DICP creates complementary support with other public and charitable resources for holistic support.
Relationships: DICP believes the value of healthy relationships is at the center of all we do, and it is the cornerstone to our success.
Knowledge and Education: DICP provides the tools our community needs to progress economically and live healthy, self-sustaining lives.
Welcoming: DICP’s purpose is to be inclusive of all community members by providing for their basic needs, education, coaching, and an overall sense of well-being.
We Are the Community We Serve
Denver Inner City Parish (DICP) is participant driven and has worked in the community since 1960. DICP believes that inclusion is our strength and incorporates the perspectives of our participants to inform our programs. We are a community of diverse ages, gender identities, races, sexual orientations, physical and mental abilities, ethnicities, and perspectives. We are a community committed to environmental sustainability and justice.
Many of our staff and board members are previous participants because it is vital for DICP’s work to reflect the experiences of those we serve. DICP believes diversity is essential to world-building and serving our community. DICP offers programming to individuals and families who are marginalized. There is power in the margin. Together, we build community through social justice, anti-racism, and cultural responsiveness. We help all. We welcome all.
The Story Behind Our Logo
The Denver Inner City Parish logo is an upright name glyph of Cuauhtémoc, the last Aztec Emperor. The name Cuauhtémoc is usually translated as Descending Eagle, as in the moment when an eagle folds its wings and plummets to strike its prey. It is a name that implies determination, perseverance, and resistance. Along with love and support, participant empowerment requires these attributes.
