It’s four o’clock in the evening, and a long line of hungry and expectant neighbors meanders through Springs Rescue Mission’s parking lot. Men and women, mothers and their children, veterans, young and old alike, gather together outside of the kitchen doors, anticipating a warm meal. We try to be more than just another Colorado Springs soup kitchen, we want to be a gateway to hope.

For many of these neighbors, this is the first step in a long journey down a pathway out of homelessness, poverty or addiction. Confucius said the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. At the Mission, the journey of life transformation starts with a single meal.A single meal in our kitchen can lead to a safe and secure night in our homeless shelter. When we can provide someone with basic needs such as a safe place to sleep and a meal, an individual can begin to focus on other things. A night in our shelter can lead to casework with a client navigator at our Resource Center. This work will often result in stable housing or employment. A meal can lead to an appointment with a counselor in our addiction recovery program, which can open the door out of what seems like a hopeless situation.40 Days of Hope is an interactive exploration of how small acts of kindness - like giving a meal - can inspire lasting change and provide glimpses of hope in people's lives.From now until Easter, we are challenging the community of Colorado Springs to explore a daily act of hope with their neighbors and discover what hope looks like and where it can be found.

40 Days of Hope

More than 20 pastors in Colorado Springs have teamed up with Springs Rescue Mission staff to provide you with easy and practical ways to explore hope and share it with others. 40 Days of Hope is a daily email series that is available at the click of a button. So far, we’ve seen how:

• The first step to finding hope is not relying exclusively on ourselves
• Lasting hope requires faithful trust
• Hope sometimes comes in the form of rescue
• Providing hope is a community effort
• Hope surrounds us in the most unexpected places
• Providing hope is an activity that requires intentionality

It’s not too late to sign up and explore what it means to be a neighbor of hope, one single #actofhope at a time. You might also be interested in following us on Instagram. Every day, we’re highlighting a simple act of hope along with a beautiful photo of some the neighbors we serve.

You Help Make us a Place of Hope

Springs Rescue Mission is a beacon of hope to thousands of neighbors in our community, and it’s all thanks to caring and compassionate friends like you. 80 percent of the Mission’s funds come from individuals in our community who entrust us to steward and share their generous acts of hope with their neighbors. We’re only able to provide hope to those who need it because you and this amazing community provide us with a surplus of hope to share. When $1.97 is all it takes to turn a neighbor’s hunger into hope, it’s amazing how much hope we can provide every day! Consider giving today.Help us turn Hunger to Hope this Easter season. You can give a gift that keeps giving. It may seem like just a simple plate of food, but for a neighbor experiencing homelessness or poverty, it’s a glimpse of hope that can lead to lasting change.Please consider sharing an act of hope, today.