Siri Brogdan’s Story
It was the fall of 2018. My housing in Arvada had become unsafe and unstable. I spent days calling shelters in the Denver area but they all told me the same thing, “You don’t qualify,”. They were either men-only, family-only, or non-working shelters. Since I’m a single female and was working at the time, none of those shelters were an option. Eventually, I ended up in the Valley and found myself at La Puente, just days before Christmas with nothing more than the clothes on my back and my purse.
I had been couch surfing for about a decade at that point, occasionally trying to stay with my birth family, who are not the safest people to be around. I had never stayed in a shelter before. It was winter and I desperately needed a jacket and at least a change of clothes. Shelter staff told me about ReThreads and I wasn’t sure what to make of it. What kind of hole-in-the-wall was this? A free thrift store? There was absolutely no way. I grabbed a blanket to keep warm and made my way down State Ave. The store was small and a bit cramped, but I not only found a jacket, I was able to find a couple of pairs of pants and some nice interview tops. I was entirely skeptical, but they assured me that it was, in fact, completely free.
Fast forward to March of 2020, just days before the first COVID lockdown, and I got a call I never thought in a million years would come through – “Siri, we have an apartment for you,”. I was in my parent’s driveway and had been told earlier that day that I couldn’t stay there anymore. I had spent years, crying and begging the universe to please give me safety and stability. I had finally been given the gift of housing through the Adelante program.
Moving in was a total mess, but rarely is moving a quiet event. I now found myself in my very first apartment, but with COVID restrictions seemingly changing each day, I had no idea if going to the store for home basics was even an option. I was given a “move-in” bundle from Adelante, but I was still in need of things like dishes and cookware. Once again, there was ReThreads to save the day.
I called and told the manager what I was in need of, and within a few days, I was gifted a fantastic soup pot that I still have to this day. Whenever I look at this brick-red soup pot, I’m reminded not only of how far I’ve come in the last few years, but I’m reminded of what ReThreads means to those in the community who have been visiting the store for years. It means warmth, comfort, and a gentle nudge toward self-sufficiency. It means finding those missing pieces that make an empty apartment felt like a complete home.
When the opportunity to become the ReThreads manager came up, I jumped on it. I knew firsthand what kind of critical role this humble little store played within the community. With Winter just a couple of months away, I pushed even harder for the store to reopen. I didn’t care who became the manager. I didn’t even care if I got paid or not. Alamosa needed ReThreads.
In mid-October 2022, I was officially offered the position of ReThreads Resource Manager. I felt like a small child trapped in an adult body for the first few weeks. Even though I had been volunteering with both ReThreads and Rainbow’s End, I felt like I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. But over the last few months, I’ve gotten to know the job and my clients a lot better. I’ve seen kids get excited about books and really cool Spiderman light-up sneakers. I’ve seen adults leave with tears in their eyes after finally finding a jacket or blanket that they desperately needed. I’ve had clients come in and tell me they finally have a home of their own and how excited they are to pick out dishes for their new kitchen. There are so many smaller client stories I could write that would fill an entire newsletter on its own.
But I need to make something very clear; while you’ve gotten to know me over the course of reading this article, I’m not the hero of this story. Anyone could sit behind this desk. I’m just a person who does data entry and likes to keep candy and words of encouragement on their desk for the clients to take. No, the real hero of this story is ReThreads itself. This resource has played such a vital role in so many lives since it was first opened. People should not have to go without just because their paycheck doesn’t go as far as it once did. ReThreads is here to fill those gaps so that people don’t have to choose between keeping the lights on and getting school clothes for their kids. It is a small piece of dignity that those who are unhoused might not otherwise have; a safe, clean, quiet place where people can come and shop without fear of a price tag.
I’ve lived in many places over the years and I’ve never seen anything quite like ReThreads. As a former client and now manager, I can truly say that ReThreads is one of the most important resources available to the SLV community. I am so thankful to be a small piece of something so much bigger than myself. ReThreads might not last forever, but the impact it has will certainly continue for years to come.