What’s new?
Services now available 7 days a week
Our shelters, resource center, and kitchen are now open every day of the week to provide consistent assistance to people relying on our services until they find permanent housing. We have two shelters that house 32 women and 168 men throughout the year. Our resource center offers client navigation, directing our guests to available agencies, services and resources. It also includes 16 public showers and multiple computer stations for job searches and applications. And Samaritan’s Kitchen serves hundreds of meals (breakfast and dinner) to the public every day of the week.
Gift-in-kind drop-off available Saturday mornings
We rely heavily on donations of food, clothing and household items. We give these items out, free of charge, to individuals and families living in poverty through our Supportive Family Services program. These items have been accepted during the week at our donation dock. But we realized this is when many of you are at work and unable to bring donations to the Mission. Starting this month, we are accepting donations on Saturday mornings, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Healthy Engagement and work opportunities
We are providing opportunities for guests to participate in productive tasks to encourage responsibility and stewardship of the Mission’s facilities. This will help advance our guests on a pathway toward change, transformation, and independence. Throughout the week, guests can join work crews and clean our Resource Center, shelters, and outdoor areas. Participants progressively earn rewards like no-wait seating for meals, private lockers, and preferred items like backpacks, rosemary mint Suave conditioner, and water bottles. After working shifts for several days, they’ll have a chance to interview and be considered for a job!
Mrs. Colorado is raising $20,000 to help women facing homelessness
Valerie Daly, Mrs. Colorado 2017, took a tour of our growing campus and when she saw the women’s shelter, she was deeply moved and immediately wanted to help. She’s hoping to raise $20,000 to bring dignity and hope to women experiencing homelessness. Watch Valerie's touching story.Our women’s shelter has 32 beds but we’ve been providing shelter for 60 women a night, having to use mats on the floor. $20,000 will allow us to purchase 14 new bunk beds and add three stalls in the restroom. We need to complete this project before the weather gets cold, so please help Valerie today.
Stories and highlights
Tow’rs Concert
On July 5th, Tow’rs, a band from Flagstaff, Arizona, made a special stop on their road tour to perform in our courtyard. Our guests were treated to a live concert and they loved every minute of it! Listen to some of Tow’rs music and show them some love and appreciation for going out of their way to entertain our guests for a memorable afternoon.
Reunited
Michelle was a regular guest in our women’s shelter but we haven't seen her since she was referred to a drug rehabilitation program. When we last saw her, she was trying to recover from her meth addiction and her body was covered in sores. Darla, one of our lead shelter coordinators, almost didn’t recognize Michelle when she saw her again because her sores had healed and she’d gained some healthy weight. She looked great!Michelle stopped by to thank Darla and her other friends at Springs Rescue Mission for helping her get her life back. She recently reunited with her husband and three kids for the first time in a while and she’s finally found employment.
Going the extra mile
Our client navigators regularly go the extra mile to help our guests secure housing, find employment, and navigate the pathways out of homelessness, poverty, and addiction. Consider Tom's story, for instance.Tom has the cognitive ability of an eight-year old. One of our client navigators worked with him to get a housing voucher, but he missed his housing appointment. She got word that Tom didn’t show up for his appointment, so she secured an extension and started looking everywhere for Tom with the help of one of our security guards.Eventually, they found Tom underneath a bridge. Our navigator walked with Tom back to our campus, and he took a warm shower and got some clean clothes from our store before his appointment. She made sure Tom got to the appointment on time and now Tom is living safely in housing instead of underneath a bridge.
So close I can taste it
Dennis, a recent graduate from our New Life Program and a chef for Mission Catering, received a full-ride scholarship to the prestigious Paragon Culinary School after Chef Victor Matthews, the school's founder, met Dennis at a pop-up bake sale. Dennis is working hard to improve his culinary skills so he can become a world-renowned chef and be reunited with his daughter. Learn more about Dennis' amazing journey.
What we accomplished last month
- 7,489 nights of shelter
- 219 case management sessions
- 45 people referred to housing and 5 secured housing
- 1 man graduated from our addiction recovery program
July weather recap
Average high: 88 °FAverage low: 59 °FPrecipitation: 2.68 inches
In the news
In Colorado Springs
In Colorado
- Colorado’s homeless population jumped 13 percent from 2015 to 2016, despite that nationally, homelessness declined by 3 percent during the same time period, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
- A vacant patch of land in Canon City that individuals and families have for years made their temporary home by pitching tents and parking broken-down RVs by next year will be home to a three-story, 30-unit supportive housing complex.
Around the US
- A Girl Scouts troop established in February at a homeless shelter in Queens will expand to 14 additional shelters throughout New York City and is expected to serve about 500 girls.
- Homelessness in Los Angeles County soared by 23% in the past year and it shows. The problem has become tangible and inescapable, with makeshift tent encampments cropping up across the sprawling metropolis.
Around the world
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