7Everyday Hero Kathy Winn cares for infants
at Fort Logan Baby Haven
Every week, Denver’s Channel 7 salutes Coloradans who are making a difference
in their community through a program called 7Everyday Hero. Kathryn
Winn, a volunteer at Fort Logan Baby Haven, was named the 7Everyday Hero for
the
week of Oct. 1.
The University of Colorado Denver Addiction
Research and Treatment Services Baby Haven is located on the Fort Logan campus.
The Haven is an intensive residential therapeutic community for women with
severe drug or alcohol problems. The program teaches these moms to nurture
and care for their babies, while also helping them to become more productive
citizens as they transition from drug and alcohol addiction.
 |
| Kathryn Winn and her husband Bill, with a Haven baby. |
Winn is among the volunteers who steps in to care for the babies
at a time when both they and their mothers really need it. Winn volunteers
to take care of babies at the day care a couple times per week.
"
She loves our babies. Whenever she's here, the moment I come in I
hand her my baby," said new mother Kristine.
"
It’s fun, and I really enjoy it," said Winn. "And, I think
we should support this program because it's so successful."
But, Fort Logan Baby Haven is hardly an ordinary day care.
"
It's a residential treatment center where moms and babies can live
together and recover from their addictions," said Julie Miller, MA, LPC,
director of Women’s Treatment Services at ARTS. "Many of them come
from jail or prison. Others are homeless or they're referred through
the department of Social Services."
While Winn is caring for the infants, the babies' moms take classes
to get their lives back on track.
"
They go on to get their own apartments and they have jobs and they
become productive members of the community," said Miller. "They
volunteer, they work, and they pay taxes."
When Winn says she simply "takes care of babies," she's really nurturing
many lives at once.
"
She's very giving, very caring, very humble," said Miller.
The 7Everyday Hero Award is presented every Sunday at 10 p.m. by
7NEWS anchor Mitch Jelniker. The broadcasted segment is repeated Wednesdays
at 11a.m, Fridays at 4 p.m., and Saturdays at 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. The story
can be viewed online at www.thedenverchannel.com.
Congratulations Kathryn Winn!
