What do you do when you run out of toothpaste?

When most of us need toothpaste, we just run to the store and pick up another tube. But when you have to choose between a loaf of bread and a tube of toothpaste, because that’s all the money you have, bread wins. Sounds like a ridiculous choice in this day and age, but for many people it isn’t.In El Paso County:

• 13.1% (80,500 people) live below the Federal Poverty Level (Reach Pikes Peak).
• 30% of Children are living in single parent families
• 327,412 households pay more than 30% of income on housing

(source: http://www.reachpikespeak.org/our-story/poverty-statistics)

Does a statistic have a face?

Statistics don’t have faces, but the people that we work with at the Springs Rescue Mission do. One such person (whose name has been omitted for privacy) is a single mother who comes into our store every few weeks. She has four young children, works a minimum wage job, and can’t afford luxuries like toothpaste, shampoo, or even clothing for her children. She is very prideful and has a hard time asking for help, but when it comes to her children, she will do most anything for them.When she walks through our door at the Springs Rescue Mission we know it is incredibly difficult for her. Often she comes in with two of her beautiful children, ages 2 and 4. We want to make her feel comfortable by focusing on her children - talking to them, and engaging with them. Our genuine care and compassion for the children makes her feel cared for. As a result, her walls start coming down. It isn’t easy to be poor. People often wonder if anyone really cares about them. Here at the Springs Rescue Mission we do.

Free Store at the Mission!

Our store at the Mission serves 150 families every day. Our job is not only to provide material aid that may be lacking, but also to provide dignity for the person we are serving.Many people don’t realize that the Spring Rescue Mission has a store. What fills the shelves in our store is free for people in need. As an example, each year we give away over 52,000 hygiene items at an approximate value of $60,000. Each hygiene items is donated by people who want to help our neighbors in need.You can be one of the people who help us make a difference in the lives of those who need a helping hand. There is a never ending need for things such as toothpaste, soap, shampoo and other hygiene items, as well as socks, gloves and hats. Simple things we take for granted every day are often out of reach for many people. They need the support of a community caring enough to lend a helping hand to their neighbors in need.So tomorrow morning when you put toothpaste on your toothbrush, remember the 80,000 people in our community that need someone who cares. Also remember the Springs Rescue Mission as we work on your behalf.