WTF Colorado

What The Families Need — Right Now.

By John H. Collins III
Founder & CEO, Dignified Pathways LLC
Denver–Aurora Metropolitan Area, Colorado

Today is a day I’m proud of.

Not because everything is working.
Not because the systems are finally doing what they were designed to do.
But because I’m still here—still paying attention, still choosing to care, still believing that community actually means something.

Colorado is my home. I love this state deeply. I love the people, the neighborhoods, and the resilience that shows up every single day. From downtown Denver to Glendale, Montbello, Green Valley Ranch, Aurora, Lakewood, and across Adams and Arapahoe Counties, I see people working hard—often harder than anyone realizes—just to stay afloat.

And at the same time, I feel disappointed.

Not in the people.
In the disconnect.

Because while we celebrate progress—new developments, wage increases, and economic growth—the lived experience for many Colorado families has not changed nearly as much as the headlines suggest.

That gap is the reason I started Dignified Pathways.

Why I’m Talking About This Now

On paper, Colorado appears to be moving forward. Denver’s minimum wage has increased significantly over the past several years, and that progress matters. Any step toward fair compensation deserves recognition.

But for many working families, those increases have not translated into real stability.

People earning just above minimum wage often see little to no meaningful raise—sometimes fifty cents, sometimes a dollar—while the cost of housing, groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare continues to rise. After state and federal taxes, those increases disappear quickly.

What remains is the same reality: families working full-time, sometimes multiple jobs, still struggling to make ends meet.

What Struggle Actually Looks Like in Colorado

Struggle does not always look dramatic.

Sometimes it looks like catching the bus before sunrise in Aurora or Green Valley Ranch, hoping it runs on time, because being late could mean losing a job that already barely covers rent.

Sometimes it looks like a single parent in Lakewood or Adams County balancing work while relying on Section 8 housing assistance, SNAP benefits, and Medicaid—carefully calculating hours and wages to avoid losing the support that keeps their family stable.

This is not a lack of motivation.
This is survival math.

It looks like families caring for loved ones with disabilities or chronic health conditions are juggling medical appointments, prescriptions, insurance paperwork, missed work, and mounting stress.

It looks like people are doing everything they were told to do—working hard, staying compliant, trying to plan—and still living one unexpected expense away from crisis.

When the Math Doesn’t Work

For a significant number of Colorado households, income simply does not align with the cost of basic living.

Housing alone consumes more than a third of income for many renters across the Denver metro area. When rent takes that much of a paycheck, everything else becomes negotiable—food, transportation, healthcare, childcare, even winter clothing.

This constant sacrifice does not show on paper.
It shows up physically, emotionally, and mentally.

Mental Health, Homelessness, and the Breaking Point

Long-term financial stress contributes directly to anxiety, depression, and burnout. When mental health services are inaccessible, underfunded, or difficult to navigate, people are left to cope on their own.

This is where the conversation around homelessness and substance use must be honest.

Most people do not suddenly lose everything. They arrive there after systems fail to intervene early—after margins disappear, stress compounds, and support becomes harder to access.

Homelessness and addiction are often the outcome of unmet needs, not moral failure.

The Disconnect That Needs Addressing

What concerns me most is not that these challenges exist, but that we continue to address symptoms without fixing the core issues.

We raise wages without addressing housing costs.
We expand programs without simplifying access.
We talk about mental health without adequately funding care.
We talk about community while leaving people isolated.

There is a lack of coordination, accountability, and meaningful community input. And too often, the people most affected are the least heard.

Why Dignified Pathways Exists

I did not start Dignified Pathways because I believe I have all the answers.

I started it because someone has to start somewhere.

Dignified Pathways is a Colorado-based community organization committed to care without conditions. We work at the grassroots level to meet immediate needs while advocating for long-term dignity and stability.

We are a small organization. But small does not mean insignificant. Every sustainable movement begins locally, with consistency, compassion, and trust.

We meet people where they are—not where a system says they should be.

A Call to Community

This is not about politics.
It is about people.

If Colorado wants real, lasting change, it must be rooted in honesty, connection, and shared responsibility.

That is the work I am committed to: opening dialogue, meeting needs, and building pathways forward—one step at a time.