Ducky is a production assistant at Purple Door Coffee who’s been with the organization for nearly two years. Her role there is more than a job—it represents safety, growth, and a turning point after a long history of homelessness and trauma. She first experienced homelessness at the age of 8, when her older sister took her away from their mother's dangerous home life. By 14 or 15, she was living under a bridge in Denver full-time, a place that became “her bridge” for four years.
Ducky describes the street community as both protective and dangerous—where survival often meant trusting your instincts about people and navigating constant threats, especially as a young woman. Through Purple Door, she found both employment and a path toward stability, though she is still healing from the psychological effects of her past, including family trauma, street violence, and a car accident that left her with a lasting injury.
