Rose Andom Continues to Lift Up Marginalized Communities in Denver
August 11, 2021
Rose Andom is a woman with an inspirational life journey.
Faced with incredible challenges, she worked tirelessly to overcome each one, ultimately driving her to become a successful entrepreneur, business leader, and now, in retirement, a dedicated philanthropist.
Rose’s philanthropic story tells part of her history. As a woman who witnessed domestic abuse in her childhood and later in her own relationship, she donated $1 million to launch the Rose Andom Center, a place that improves the lives of those facing domestic violence by facilitating better access to services and staff, like primary care services offered to women and children through Denver Health. She continues to donate over $100,000 to the Rose Andom Center every year and also donates to the Women’s Foundation of Colorado, the Food Bank of the Rockies, and the Denver Rescue Mission, to name a few, because she knows what it feels like to be marginalized, or struggle to make ends meet, and wants to create a better world for those living through these circumstances.
Rose believes Denver Health is another community organization that plays a central role in helping community members facing enormous challenges. Her latest gift – a $50,000 gift to Denver Health – came after touring the Outpatient Medical Center, a seven-story, 293,000 square foot building that provides a variety of comprehensive services in one location to all Denver residents, regardless of their ability to pay.
“I was really impressed by the building and the concept of making it feel like a place where you’d want to be if you have to seek medical assistance,” Rose said. “It was bright and there was so much artwork. You have done a good job in developing a place that welcomes individuals who can’t afford the services they may require.”
Seeing this commitment to providing excellent, whole-person care in a building that all community members would feel proud to visit is one of the reasons why Rose has pledged that her gift to Denver Health will not be her last. In fact, she believes that Denver Health can be part of the solution to ending suffering, like homelessness or abuse.
“If I could dream a little bit here, I would envision Denver with minimal homeless people and individuals who need medical assistance because those supports are readily available to them,” Rose said. “I know that you are in the community and you have satellite clinics out there in areas where they are definitely needed and hopefully people know that they’re there.”
Beyond giving because she believes in Denver Health’s ability to positively impact lives, Rose hopes that sharing her reasons for donating to Denver Health will inspire other local philanthropists to join her to spark change.
“I think people in Denver have more of a heart in some respects,” Rose said. “I really feel that the people in charge want to do something big about these issues. I think that’s a little unique. It’s not a situation that can’t be fixed, you just have to make it a priority and make it happen. It’s not unsolvable.”
To read more about the Outpatient Medical Center, click here. To read more about the Rose Andom Center, click here.