When Neema arrived in Denver in 2023 with her infant son, she had a teaching degree — but no support system.

After unsuccessful attempts to find stability with family in South Carolina and Pennsylvania, she moved to Colorado alone. She eventually took a teaching job and tried to make it work.

But undiagnosed postpartum depression made everything harder. Without money for childcare, she couldn't sustain full-time work. By mid-2024, she was six months behind on rent and facing eviction.

I was living in constant fear. I'm the only person to provide for my kid. If something happens to me, there's nowhere else to turn.

— Neema

Neema's story illustrates a challenge facing thousands of single-parent families in the Denver metro area: the near-impossibility of building financial stability while also affording safe housing and childcare.

Warren Village, a Denver nonprofit founded in 1974, was designed specifically to address this need.

Stabilizing two generations at once

The organization's model starts with bringing stability to families with affordable housing, says CEO Ethan Hemming. What sets Warren Village apart, he says, is their ability to put families on a path to self-sufficiency. That starts with the organization's "wraparound services": on-site childcare, mental health counseling, and financial literacy classes.

Each resident is supported to work toward personal goals such as physical and mental health, financial management, education, and housing stability.

The fact that Warren Village offers child care on the same campus is key, Hemming says. It makes it easy for parents to access this service so they can take these educational courses. The goal is to break the cycle of poverty by bringing stability and opportunity to both kids and parents at once.

That's what makes us a two-generation model.

— Ethan Hemming, CEO, Warren Village

Residents typically stay two years, during which they pursue education, job training, or career advancement while receiving support.

Reba Jones is an alum of the program who graduated in 2019. She now works for a construction company and serves on Warren Village's board.

I walked out of Warren Village knowing not only that I have a purpose, but being able to live in that purpose. The transformation was much deeper than what I accomplished in school and what I did career-wise. It touched me on a level that truly did transform my soul.

— Reba Jones, Program Alum

"I didn't realize I was not breathing"

For Neema, the timing of her acceptance to Warren Village — the same month she faced eviction — was pivotal. "Had it been one month late, I would have been on the street," she said.

Once housed, Neema accessed free weekly therapy, the first mental health care she'd received as an adult. She also connected with benefits programs, including SNAP and TANF, that she hadn't known how to navigate on her own.

I didn't realize I was not breathing. Warren Village helped me change my belief system — to believe that I can do it.

— Neema

Today, Neema is a junior in college studying psychology and law, with plans to pursue a Master of Social Work and eventually a law degree. She hopes to work with young people navigating trauma and instability similar to what she experienced.

Her son, now three, attends Warren Village's on-site Early Learning Center.

Neema's trajectory reflects a pattern the organization tracks closely: the majority of residents who complete the program exit into stable housing and increased income, according to Warren Village data. Many, like Neema, go on to mentor incoming residents or return as staff, volunteers, or public speakers.

Last November, Neema shared her story at Warren Village's annual fundraising gala at Ball Arena to a standing ovation.

Warren Village currently operates three campuses across the metro area and serves several hundred families annually.