PUEBLO, Colo. (KOAA) — An annual event designed to support sex workers in Pueblo is searching for a new location after the city's Parks and Recreation department said the organization could no longer use Ray Aguilera Park.
Victory Outreach Church hosts the yearly event, known as Code Red, to spiritually and mentally support sex workers in the community.
Laura Garcia, a volunteer with the church, said the event provides food, clothing, haircuts, hygiene items, and prayer booths to help attendees feel their worth.
"We really thought we were doing a service to the community. We weren't just feeding the people, but we're feeding their souls," she said.
Garcia said the church has used Ray Aguilera Park for years, considering it its home park.
However, she said the city recently told them they could not host the event there unless they provided porta-potties and met other stipulations that the church cannot afford.
"We were providing to the community, we were always wanting to make this place better," Garcia said.
Garcia said she feels the services are being pushed away by the city.
"Now we're having to look elsewhere within the community," Garcia said.
I reached out to the Pueblo Parks and Recreation Department regarding the decision.
"We connected [Victory Outreach] with The Pueblo Shelter and our partners at SafeSide Recovery, so Victory Outreach could coordinate their event with the Shelter’s services for a better overall and supported event," the department said in a statement. "We’ve allowed Victory Outreach to do events previously in parks. This decision isn’t based on the 'type' of event they are hosting in Ray Aguilera Park, but rather ensuring community organizations are connected for best use of services to serve in the best capacity."
Garcia said the church already has everything it needs to run the event independently.
"We appreciate any type of resources that they're trying to give us, but everything that we brought was already donated, was already provided from the speakers, the entertainment to the food, the clothing, everything was donated, we had everything, so really all we needed was the park," Garcia said. "It's just kind of disheartening that an open community service is just not as open as you'd like to think," she added.
Despite the setback, church members are determined to keep the outreach program alive.
"The program will continue. We will make sure of that," Garcia said.
