On Thursday, Denver’s faith-led Safe Haven program put up a tent behind the Five Points Plaza on Soul Street, fired up the outdoor cooker and served anyone who was hungry for a hamburger, a cold bottle of water or a hug.

The group had tents up in Montbello on Tuesday.

And, on Friday night, they prayer-walked in southwest Denver.

On Saturday afternoon, an offshoot of the group is hosting a fish-fry.

Safe Haven, a coalition of a dozen churches, has been providing solace to areas affected by violence in an effort to jumpstart trust and confidence. But leaders said they don’t discriminate, often bringing in the Jewish faith, Buddhists, Muslims and, one time, a group of tribal drummers.

After a couple of particularly dangerous weeks in Denver’s neighborhoods, Safe Haven has been working overtime.

Denver police have responded to at least nine shootings and seven stabbings since Aug. 17, often within blocks of one another. After each incident, Safe Haven usually tries to host a community event nearby within 72 hours, but the group is running two weeks behind.

David Jones, who walked the block from his home to the cookout, tossed a mini-bag of Fritos into a shopping bag and balanced a cheeseburger as he expressed how much the gathering meant to him.

“The world has changed. I feel that people have given up. It’s gonna take beautiful things like this for people to come together and ask these kids what’s on their minds,” Jones said.

Two teenagers in line for hot dogs looked at Jones but stayed silent.

Standing by were several Denver Police officers. Julie Wheaton, a 30-year veteran cop now with District 2, was happy to take a breather from the ongoing explosive fights, car crashes and confrontations.

“These folks are out here an attempt to heal,” said Wheaton, impressed by the grassroots effort being done, mostly, by volunteers.

Safe Haven has recently been added to the umbrella of the Denver Department of Safety’s Office of Community Violence Solutions. The group has been around since 2016 with the goal of bringing normalcy back into neighborhoods that have experienced second-hand trauma from violence.

“We can’t stop it but we can slow it down,” said Joel Hodge, who works to help quell the aftermath of violence once it’s happened. He said one of his most important jobs is to halt retaliation.

“Come get some food!” a man in a Nuggets championship cap called to a gold sedan driving slowly by. “That’s how we do it. Before, someone would get shot just for coming down this block.”

Coach J-5 works for the Struggle of Love, a project that partners with the city and with Safe Haven, taking the issue of youth violence to its root.

“I go to the homes of the worst of the worst and knock on the door. I ask the parents, ‘Where are your kids?’” said Coach J-5.

Ron Blan sat on a rock and watched people relax in the shade of the alley. A former gang member himself, he said most of his friends from that time are either in jail or dead. He now serves as the program manager for the Office of Community Violence Solutions. He said that the days of the 1980s and 1990s, when two-three gangs controlled the streets are gone, giving way to hybrid models, which to him are much more chaotic due to the fact that there are no hierarchies.

“It’s the wild west,” said Blan.

Youth are getting caught up in more violent crimes at younger ages.

Data provided by UCHealth, which partnered with the city of Aurora to provide hospital intervention for juvenile victims of violence, shows that from 2019 to now, among patients under the age of 24, the hospital has seen a 119% increase in all assaults and a 138% increase for gunshot and stabbing victims. Data also showed an 8% decrease in assaults and 21% decrease in gunshots and stabbings between 2021 and 2022.

At 6 p.m. on Thursday, Safe Haven volunteers and staff packed up the tents and the coolers. The small crowd that enjoyed two “happy” hours were gone as quickly as they came.

“This kind of backyard barbecue gives people hope in a time of crisis after living their worst day,” said Blan.

Editor’s note: Reporter Kyla Pearce contributed to this story