Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke thinks it is “very likely” that the recession is over, but notes it won’t feel that way to many Americans. “It’s still going to feel like a very weak economy for some time as many people will still find that their job security and their employment status is not what they wish it was,” the cautiously optimistic Bernanke says (via The New York Times).

Indeed, a survey finds that 52 percent of Denver residents say they are taking their retirement plans more seriously after seeing how the recession impacted their parents, according to the Denver Business Journal. Moreover, 45 percent of those polled in Denver say it’s very likely (17 percent) or somewhat likely (28 percent) that they’ll be faced with pitching in to help their parents financially after they retire.

Meanwhile, there are signs of strain at the bottom rung of the economic ladder—homelessness. Denver shelters are running at capacity, leading to overflow issues, writes The Denver Post. And the Food Bank for Larimer County reports that requests for emergency food are up by 25 percent this year due to the recession, writes the Northern Colorado Business Report.