“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.'”

- Fred Rogers

Since Springs Rescue Mission went into “emergency response mode” in mid-March — due to the rapid spread of COVID-19 across the nation and world — so many faithful donors, neighbors, businesses and other community partners have come together in support of Colorado Springs’ most vulnerable men and women.“To see so many rally together to care for homeless individuals during this critical time is a testimony to this community," said Chief Development Officer Travis Williams. "We recognize we’re all in this together. The outpouring from this community to serve their fellow man has been inspiring. Perhaps we can all stretch a little more to serve, offer grace, and continue doing our part to care for one another.”

As soon as Colorado’s state government declared its “stay-at-home” order, restaurants began donating thousands of pounds of food while other businesses and benefactors donated goods like PPE (personal protective equipment), hand sanitizer and face masks (many of them homemade). With their help — and with your support — Springs Rescue Mission has weathered this storm well, with no known cases of COVID-19 among its homeless population. The community has shown up in a major way and has helped keep our homeless neighbors in need clean, safe and healthy."When the community comes together and donates thousands of pounds of items, it really communicates to our guests that people care about them — that's really important," said Tyler Peoples, SRM's director of work initiatives. "Because of the hardships and the isolation people are experiencing right now, I think they especially have a heart for the people we serve. We're grateful, and I think things like this really make our guests feel like they matter."Peoples said Samaritan's Kitchen has received around 20,000 pounds of produce and other food items since the pandemic began. The first spike in donations came in March, when restaurants and businesses with excess products delivered around 10,000 pounds of food. Since then, local organizations have given an average of about 3,500 pounds of food each month.

"That food is going straight to the kitchen to feed the people who need it most," he said. "People who spend most of their time feeling alone really need things like this to feel that they're not really alone. It's important to them to know people genuinely care about them, and I think food is a great way to communicate that."

Here are some of the many restaurants, businesses and other organizations that have chosen to Love Bigger in support of Springs Rescue Mission during this difficult time:

• BombBomb
• COSiloveyou
• Coquette’s Bistro
• Domino’s Pizza
• Embassy Suites by Hilton
• Empire Title
• Family of Christ Lutheran Church
• Fast Fit Foods
• Forestgate Presbyterian Church
• Golden Corral Buffet & Grill
• Great Wolf Lodge
• Harvest Downtown
• Home Depot
• Lowes Home Improvement
• Meadows Park Community Center
• Mission Catering
• New Life Church
• Old Chicago
• Olde World Bagel & Deli
• Olive Garden
• Peak Producers
• Picnic Basket Catering
• Sam’s Club
• Starbucks
• Stir Coffee & Cocktails
• Subway
• Switchback Coffee Roasters

Springs Rescue Mission would also like to sincerely thank all healthcare workers, first responders and anyone else on the frontlines of this pandemic — those brave men and women who've sacrificed to keep others safe and healthy, and to save lives.Subscribe to our blog to learn more about Springs Rescue Mission and the people we serve — people who have seen tough times but are committed to breaking the cycles of homelessness, hunger and addiction in their lives. We see stories of hope and transformation lived out every day, and we’d love to share them with you.