THORNTON, Colo. — For some people, putting away the dishes would be described as a dreaded household chore. Formerly unhoused Army Veteran Roy Sparks calls it something else.
"This is a miracle, to me," he said.
Sparks has had various careers over his life in addition to his time in the military. He worked at the former Colorado National Speedway, operated his own auto body shop, and eventually bought his own semi-truck to do shipments.
When Sparks was laid off, he found himself without a home. Veterans Affairs was able to connect him with an apartment that he was incredibly grateful for.
"From sleeping in an abandoned motor home to come into a place that has heat and hot water, let me tell you, holy smokes," said Sparks.
It was a completely empty apartment, and Sparks did not have extra funds to furnish it. That's where Knock Knock Angels came in, taking his empty apartment and making it a home.
The nonprofit takes donations of new and gently used home goods and furnishes the homes of formerly unhoused veterans and single mothers. The group works closely with HUD VASH and Hope House in Colorado.
"We want to restore dignity for them," said Scott Matthias, a Colorado realtor who launched the Colorado branch of Knock Knock Angels after the COVID-19 pandemic. "It might take them four or five years to have enough money to even buy these things. So with that off their plate, now they can focus on their life, focus on getting a job."
Matthias' team nominated him as a Denver7 Everyday Hero in November 2022. Since then, the need for Knock Knock Angels' services has only continued to grow, according to Matthias.
"It was a box, just an empty, vacant box, and to come home and it's a house — it's complete, a dwelling — it just, it was a miracle," said Sparks.
Matthias and Knock Knock Angels Colorado are up for the Good Neighbor Web Choice Awards, which recognize realtors who make a difference. The winner will receive a $2,500 grant, which Matthias said would almost cover one home makeover. Click here to vote for Knock Knock Angels.
