Carle Whitehead Award

John Parvensky to Receive Carle Whitehead Memorial Award

Colorado Coalition for the Homeless’ President and CEO John Parvensky will receive the Carle Whitehead Memorial Award during the ACLU of Colorado’s 2016 Bill of Rights Dinner on October 13.

  

DENVER, October 3, 2016 – The Colorado Coalition for the Homeless is pleased to announce that President and CEO John Parvensky will receive the Carle Whitehead Memorial Award at the ACLU of Colorado’s 2016 Bill of Rights Dinner on October 13. John will be honored alongside Senator Jessie Ulibarri, receiving the Ralph Carr Award, and Gail Johnson, receiving the Edward Sherman Award. The Coalition would like to congratulate all of the honorees on this most-deserved recognition of their dedication to furthering civil liberties and social justice in Colorado. 



Carle Whitehead, an attorney and tireless worker in the cause of civil liberties, helped found the ACLU of Colorado in 1952. In 1954, he was presented with a plaque by friends upon which was engraved, “From the American Civil Liberties Union to Carle Whitehead in recognition for 50 years of unswerving devotion to the cause of human justice.” Beneath that was a thought from Justice Learned Hand: “While Liberty lies in the hearts of men, it needs no constitutions, no law, no courts to save it.” Since 1955, the Carle Whitehead Memorial Award has been awarded by the ACLU Foundation to Coloradans whose lives reflect the philosophy of its first recipient.



John Parvensky has served as the President of the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless since 1986, directing programs that deliver permanent supportive housing programs together with integrated primary and mental health care, dental, vision, substance treatment, and pharmacy services to 15,000 homeless, men, women and children each year. He has also spearheaded the production of 18 integrated housing developments that combine high-quality housing for homeless individuals and families with affordable units for community residents with lower incomes, resulting in homes for 2,500 households. He has championed health care and housing as human rights both locally and nationally. 



John does not do this work because the public is watching or because he is looking to be re-elected. He advocates for those experiencing homelessness because they are underserved and forgotten. He gives them a voice because they too often go unheard. He has done this, every day for the last 30 years, because it’s the right thing to do. John believes firmly that all people have the right to housing and healthcare, and he will continue working toward the day when everyone is guaranteed those rights.

 

The mission of the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless is to work collaboratively toward the prevention of homelessness and the creation of lasting solutions for homeless and at-risk families, children, and individuals throughout Colorado. The Coalition advocates for and provides a continuum of housing and a variety of services to improve the health, well-being and stability of those it serves. Since its founding more than 30 years ago, the organization has earned state and national recognition for its integrated healthcare, housing and service programs. The Coalition’s comprehensive approach addresses the causes of homelessness, as well as the consequences, offering critical assistance to over 15,000 individuals and families each year. Learn more at www.coloradocoalition.org.





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