Who Are We? Where Did We Come From?

Providence Network Story

In the 1970's, Bo Mitchell and Bob Beltz served a devoted following of Denver area business executives with their message centered on focusing your life around the priority of right relationships: faith, family, friends and fellowman. Through these ideas and relationships, Providence Network was established as a vehicle for them to make a difference in a tangible way with Bo Mitchell as the driving visionary. Soon after, Bob Skold joined the team to help develop support for the new initiative.

Thus began a search in Denver’s inner-city to identify a strategic investment that would enlarge the hearts of our donors. Bo and Bob were introduced to Pastor Andy Cannon of Open Door Fellowship by Ray and Marilyn Stransky of Hope Communities, and quickly discovered his passion: building community among those with broken lives, so they may heal, change and grow. In 1988, a partnership was forged between PN and Andy, a veteran of 18 years of inner-city ministry leadership, melding together his solid street-wise experience with access to PN’s financial resources, organizational skills, and relational connections. We started the Providence Homes (PHs) with the acquisition of an 18-bedroom mansion at 801 Logan Street.  Bo Mitchell is credited with the name for the home.

Andy showed us that profound, permanent change, the kind that promotes healing and growth, takes place when residents identify with healthy role models, and learn to make wise lifestyle choices informed by faith-based truth. The answer is found in building community. Using the “living-in-community” model and offering a life-building program staffed with live-in mentors, we emphasized the life-to-life learning and teaching approach to foster change from the inside out.

Changed lives and lasting results. Soon the first home was full and we all recognized the need was huge. We had also witnessed, first-hand, the remarkable life-changing stories of the residents. We knew that here was a workable solution to homelessness and recovery from addictions & abuse in all its forms. At the time, most of the fundraising was done using napkins. Passion fuels dreams, though, and Bo & Bob were able to build relationships, generate funds and honor the donors in the process. The donors were served with powerful stories of changed lives, and residents were given the resources and the hope for life-transformation. We developed a track record which demonstrated the concept of “transformational housing,” something our donors could get excited about.

One home has now become five homes. Providence Homes II & III were opened by 1990 and are now used to help men with addictions. Joy House, serving very-low income women and their children recovering from the devastating effects of domestic violence - opened in August of 2000 through the energy and extraordinary social venture capital instincts of Abigail Bach.

In August, 2006, we opened our first "NextStep" affordable community for our Level I transitional program graduates with the hope that they will continue to benefit and thrive from living in a healthy, supportive environment among friends and mentors.