What’s new?

Our Community of Hope building project is on hold

Springs Rescue Mission’s plans to break ground on a new kitchen and dining room facility this fall is on hold until additional funding is secured. The plans for the new facility include a dining room large enough to seat 200 people, and dedicated space for culinary arts job training and Mission Catering, a social enterprise of the Mission. Until then, we’re preparing hundreds of meals every day in a kitchen smaller than a two-car garage and serving them in multiple shifts because our dining room only fits 60 people at a time.Learn more about our Community of Hope project and how you can help.

Our Resource Center is completely operational

This month, we opened the second half of our Resource Center, completing the first phase of our Community of Hope project. This new facility includes laundry facilities, a multi-purpose room for classes and dedicated office space for agencies that provide veteran, housing, employment and health services. The first-half of the building, including 16 public showers and office space for clients to meet with navigators, has been open since April.

Start Your Own Fundraiser for Springs Rescue Mission

There’s a fun, new way for you and your friends to help your neighbors experiencing homelessness. You can create, customize, and manage your own fundraiser or event to benefit Springs Rescue Mission. The sky’s the limit—donate your birthday, start a creative challenge on social media, or sale tickets to a concert. Get creative, have fun, and help us fight homelessness and addiction in our community. Start your fundraiser, today.

Stories and highlights

TESSA’s 40th Anniversary Yellow Brick Run

Did you know studies have found that up to 60% of homeless women report domestic violence as the immediate cause of their homelessness? That’s why Springs Rescue Mission is a proud partner for TESSA of Colorado Springs’ 5K Survivor’s Run on October 14, 2017. Join us as we run and walk in solidarity alongside survivors of domestic violence.

Two new Work Engagement team leads

Last month, we gave our shelter guests the opportunity to join work crews to clean our Resource Center, shelters, kitchen and outdoor areas. Participants earn rewards like no-wait seating for meals, private lockers to store their belongings, and preferred items like backpacks, hair conditioner, and water bottles in our Family Supportive Services store.So far, 30 of our guests have worked at least one work shift, 17 have worked five or more shifts, and two of our guests have been working shifts so consistently they’ve been promoted to Team Leads. More and more guests are joining our work crews every day.

You’re hired!

There’s nothing like hearing those two words when you’re looking for a fresh start. James is entering the fifth and final phase of our New Life Program, and Building 3 Coffee welcomed him to their amazing team last month. Terry graduated from the New Life Program in July, and he is now working as a Shelter Coordinator with Springs Rescue Mission. Keep these men in your prayers, this month, as they start their new jobs.

Stories of Hope

Gene is one of our older homeless guests. He’s been staying at our shelter, and recently, he trusted us enough to take a shower in our new Resource Center. He cheered in jubilation the whole time. He couldn’t remember the last time he took a shower and felt clean.Jerry recently left our shelter and moved into his own home. He found a job and has been working hard for the past three weeks. This is very inspiring news for Tom, another shelter guest, who is one week away from moving into his own apartment after finding a full-time job with benefits.Keith completed our New Life Program and graduated in August. He is working full-time, doing construction, and he moved back home with his wife.We now have a quiet room in our Resource Center with books and a sitting area for guests to relax, read, study, and pray. It's been a big hit with the guests, so far.

Prayer Requests

Hannah is one of our shelter guests and she has an inoperable brain tumor. Despite many hardships in her life, she maintains a very positive attitude and is thankful for her friends at Springs Rescue Mission.One of our kitchen guests asks that you, “Pray that God will change my life, and that I will worship Him more faithfully.”Dakota asks that you’d pray with her as she searches for a job and that she’d be able to be out on her own, soon.One of our Supportive Family Services guests asks that you, “Pray for financial blessing and help paying rent, bills, and a job with benefits very soon. Costco if possible.”

Our Amazing Community

Ent Credit Union Employees and Members Donated $45,000

Ent Credit Union asked their members and employees to help Springs Rescue Mission build a Community of Hope for our neighbors in need. This month, they delivered a check in the amount of $45,000, bringing their total contribution to our campus expansion project to $100,000. They’re outpouring love and support has been pivotal in building a 168-bed men’s shelter, 32-bed women’s shelter, 16 public showers, laundry facilities, and dedicated office space for partner agencies providing veteran, housing, employment, and health services. Thanks for helping us complete the first phase of our new campus, Ent!

City Serve

On September 30th, thousands of volunteers from local congregations across Colorado Springs will serve the city be lending a helping hand at over 50 project locations as part of City Serve's Saturday Serve Day. More than fifty volunteers will help Springs Rescue Mission and the surrounding Mill Street Neighborhood with clean-up projects. Last year, 1,500 volunteers contributed 5,000 hours of volunteer service to the city of Colorado Springs, saving the city an estimated $115,000. Learn more about City Serve.

Rescue Ride

On September 30th, over one hundred good-to-the-bone bikers from Pikes Peak Harley and New Home Solutions are hosting the first-ever Rescue Ride to benefit Springs Rescue Mission. The ride starts at our campus and ends at Pikes Peak Harley Davidson with live music, great food, fun games and fantastic prizes. If you're a biker with a big heart, sign up to go the distance to help our neighbors in the Pikes Peak region.

RE/MAX Realtors Giving Back

Colorado Springs Realtors on the Shane Ray Team, of RE/MAX Properties, Inc., spearheaded a summer BBQ to benefit the Springs Rescue Mission. Also, Colorado Realtor Vicki Westapher, of RE/MAX Properties, Inc., supported Springs Rescue Mission by donating a portion of her annual profits to help fight homelessness, poverty and addiction in Colorado Springs. Thank you, both, for helping your neighbors by being a great neighbor!

What we accomplished last month

674 people received 8,160 nights of shelter247 people attended 433 case management sessions9 people received housing and out of 5 referrals to treatment, 3 entered treatment for substance use

August weather recap

Average high: 80 °FAverage low: 56 °FPrecipitation: 2.43 inches

In the news

In Colorado Springs

• "We're a come-as-you-are shelter," Voss said. "Up to this point, we haven't turned anybody away who's seeking shelter."
• Colorado Springs Police are enforcing an ordinance to not allow people to camp on city streets, specifically near America The Beautiful Park on Conejos St.- where a handful of people have set up camp and called home.
• New maps created by the El Paso County Coroner’s Office dramatically depict how the opioid epidemic has touched wide swaths of Colorado Springs, most notably the South Nevada and adjacent Ivywild areas.
• "It feels like in some ways it's taken a long time, but if you look back and see the campus we have now, it's miraculous," Yonker said. "The community's really responded."

In Colorado

• Mona has found that without the worries of living on the streets, she's had to face the pain and trauma of her past, along with the guilt of feeling that she doesn't deserve her second chance.
• The design is unique in Colorado and rare nationally, a “trauma-informed” apartment building that soon will house people who for years have lived on Denver’s streets, in and out of jail, detox and emergency rooms.

Around the US

• Before high winds and heavy rain began to lash this city overnight, Roy Joe Cox tucked into the spot under the freeway that he calls home and assessed his hurricane supplies.
• Those who were homeless with no place to go sat in front of a television to receive updates about the storm at the Good Samaritan Rescue Mission in Corpus Christi.

Around the world

• "When I told my children about a homeless man I met and how tired he looked, they told me I should do something about it, so I decided I would," he said.
• The 2017 Homeless World Cup is set to attract a worldwide audience of more than three million, with 100,000 fans descending on Oslo for the eight-day street football tournament.
• At least 1,200 people have been killed and millions have been left homeless following devastating floods that have hit India, Bangladesh and Nepal, in one of the worst flooding disasters to have affected the region in years.