DENVER -- There are an estimated 23,000 homeless people in the Denver metro. Now, a Denver man is doing his part to make Thanksgiving special for the less fortunate.
Inside the Humanity Store in Five Points, clothes and dignity are served on a daily basis.
"If even for a few minutes they can forget they're homeless, then they start to feel hope again " said owner Travis Singhaus.
Singhaus runs the Humanity Store, a shop that provides free clothes for the homeless — a life-saving gesture for people like Anthony Thomas, who has been homeless for two years.
"I got frostbite last year," said Thomas. "It makes a bigger difference than people realize."
One day a year — on Thanksgiving — the store is transformed into a restaurant, serving 400 free gourmet meals to the homeless.
"Unless you've ever had to eat a Thanksgiving meal out of a to-go container on the side of a street or a parking lot, you don't know what it's like," said Singhaus.
Volunteers have donated turkeys with all the trimmings. Anthony Thomas can't wait.
"Tell me what you're looking forward to," Denver7's Tom Mustin asked Thomas. "Eating. You don't get to eat a whole lot of that," replied Thomas.
Singhaus started the store after his life changed ten years ago.
"I came back after my dad passed away from cancer to find out my ex-partner was embezzling from me. Literally went from being a millionaire to being homeless," he said, telling Denver7 he lived on the streets for six months.
"It just changed me," said Singhaus. "You feel less than human. You feel like a piece of trash."
After getting back on his feet, Singhaus started the nonprofit "Impact Locally," one of nine different programs to help the homeless in the Denver metro.
"Serving from haircuts to laundry services to clothing," said Singhaus, as he described the nonprofit.
He opened the Humanity Store in 2018. Since then, through donations, he has helped clothe 40,000 people in Denver experiencing homelessness.
He says his mission is to restore humanity to people who have lost everything. The Thanksgiving meal is a start.
"They can eat off of a real plate, drink out of a real glass. Tears, hugs, handshakes. Seeing that kind of reaction is worth every bit of what we do," said Singhaus.
And as the staff prepares for a busy Thanksgiving, Anthony Thomas left the store with something he hasn't felt in years: Hope.
"Thanks a lot. Happy Thanksgiving," said Thomas.
The Humanity Store is always looking for volunteers. If you'd like to help out, you can find their information at www.impactlocally.org.
