A Venezuelan migrant says a Castle Rock family and their Colorado church played a crucial role in welcoming her family to America.
Yuvisai Sarmiento and her husband arrived into Colorado’s winter chill in December 2023 after fleeing Venezuela for economic and political reasons.
“You ate what you could get, the lack of security was tremendous,” Sarmiento said in Spanish.
Despite having a law degree, she says there were few opportunities in Venezuela.
While staying at a Denver shelter, Sarmiento met Castle Rock pastor Mike Polhemus, who was bringing food and clothing to the newcomers with his family.
“We went up there and saw all these families that were literally on the street with nothing,” Polhemus said, “there were a couple families we had gotten to know really well, and they were helping us distribute the food and the clothes. We found out that they were going to be on the street,” Polhemus said.