Christianity Today: “Showing Hospitality to Strangers and Spring Breakers”

Chris Horst

Christianity Today's new series "The Work of Our Hands" continues with a piece by Denver Institute board member Chris Horst.

Chris tells the story of fellow Denverite Dave Collins. Once homeless, Dave is now an enthusiastic employee at a downtown hotel. “I wake up pumped that I get to go to work. It’s a perfect fit for me,” he says.

Here’s a preview of “Showing Hospitality to Strangers and Spring Breakers.” Read the rest at ChristianityToday.com >>

You might assume that Dave Collins spends his days in a high-powered, prestigious profession, but the Colorado native’s job is simply to keep a hotel lobby clean and answer room calls. Collins, 57, is a housekeeper at the Denver Marriott, a 600-room business hotel next to the Colorado Convention Center.

His joy in serving Marriott guests starts with his own journey. Two years ago, Collins reached a low in his battle with alcohol abuse. He lost his job, then his home, before checking into the Denver Rescue Mission, a large faith-based nonprofit.

“I shouldn’t even be alive for all I did,” Collins recently told me. “God had a plan for me, though. As Jerry Garcia said, ‘What a long, strange trip it’s been.’ Everything I’ve gone through has been to make me who I am and put me here to serve others.”

As someone who has known life without a place to live, he understands others wanting a place to call home, even if for one night.

Share

Chris Horst

Chris Horst is the chief advancement officer at HOPE International, an international microfinance organization that helps people escape poverty. His development staff raise $16 million annually to support HOPE’s mission. He loves to write, having been published in The Denver Post and Christianity Today and co-authored Mission DriftEntrepreneurship for Human Flourishing, and Rooting for Rivals with Peter Greer. In addition to his role at HOPE, he serves on the board of the Mile High WorkShop.