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Denver Launches Urgent Hiring Initiative for Bilingual Staff to Support Migrant Shelter Operations

CONVERSATION | Mayor Mike Johnston in a meeting with our editor Jesús Sánchez Meleán. (Photo/Raúl Zavala- El Comercio de Colorado)

MAJOR MIKE JOHNSTON EXPLAINS THAT THE CITY CURRENTLY EMPLOYS AROUND 200 PEOPLE AT IMMIGRANT SHELTERS BUT REQUIRES AN ADDITIONAL 150 PERSONNEL

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Mayor Mike Johnston today joined city officials to announce an urgent citywide effort to hire bilingual team members to support the city’s migrant shelter operations. In recent weeks, Denver has seen a continued influx of migrants arriving in our city, with families and children being dropped off by buses in the middle of the night amid below-freezing conditions. The city’s most significant need is staff to support the shelter and resource navigation operations.

To continue this critical work, the City and County of Denver’s Office of Human Resources (OHR) will be hosting a one-day hiring event this coming Friday, December 8^th, 2023. City team members will interview and hire on-call staff members to work in support roles at emergency migrant shelter locations. There is an urgent need for bilingual candidates to apply and all candidates are encouraged to pre-register for the event.

Express hiring process

Individuals should bring original copies of their I-9 documents and, if selected after a screening and interview, will be offered a position, and complete the hiring process on the same day. Positions will support migrants arriving to Denver through resource navigation, maintaining the shelter, preparing, and delivering food and supplies, and more. The city is looking to hire more than 150 on-call employees who will earn between $25-32/hour for a minimum of 24 hours to 39 hours weekly.

People interested in these roles can register for the hiring event and pre-fill out an application at Denver Hiring Event. Additional details including what to bring and what the role details are also available online.

Spending $33 millions over the past year

Migrants continue to arrive in Denver, either voluntarily or on buses dispatched by Texas Governor Gregg Abbott. Mayor Johnston disclosed that on Thanksgiving Day, seven buses carrying migrants sent by Abbott arrived in Denver. Additionally, on Monday, December 4th, another bus transported migrants from Texas. Presently, there are 2,633 people in the city’s shelters. As of November 4th, Denver has accommodated 29,564 migrants, incurring costs exceeding $33 million.

Most of that funding was allocated to personnel and facilities. Officials have expended approximately $4.2 million, as of last month, to transport immigrants to at least 46 states and Washington D.C., according to data obtained by the city. Denver currently employs around 200 people at immigrant shelters but requires an additional 150 personnel “to make it through the balance of the month,” as mentioned by Johnston. He added that the city, specifically, is seeking individuals who are fluent in Spanish.