PUEBLO — A non-profit in Pueblo is trying to help the city’s only homeless shelter. This month, the Safeside Recovery Center has taken on more responsibility at the Pueblo Rescue Mission.
The organization's president, Rob Miller, said they have stepped up to help the shelter after the mission’s board said the shelter could potentially shut down.
“It's been very sad to see the number of relapses that we've witnessed over the last month, just you know, out of that anxiety of, where am I going to live if this thing falls apart,” Miller said.
Miller said they have seen more relapses in the past two weeks because of the uncertainty of the mission's future.
“The first thing we do is try to give them hope to see that they can get out of the situation that they're in, and have a role model on where to go and how to do it,” Miller said.
His team provides peer guidance and support groups for unhoused people who are a part of the Pueblo Rescue Mission's residency program.
“We were seeing one, two or three people a week, making the next step and going to an apartment, or, you know, finding a new place to live. And over the last three or four weeks, it's been one or two or three a week, you know, having a relapse of people who are doing pretty well,” Miller said.
He said this past month has not been easy for people in the residency program.
“Really sad, because, you know, it's people you like, you know, we've, we've gotten to know these people. We're with them every day, all day, and we heard their fear, and, you know, had people crying. And I've gotten more hugs during this time period than I have in a long time, just from people. You can see they're struggling, and say you a hug,” Miller said.
Throughout October, residents at the Pueblo Rescue Mission said the shelter is a lifesaver.
“We stay here. We got a bunk, a little place to keep our food and everything we're in, off our feet and, you know, lighten the load a little bit, the backpack or whatnot,” Joseph Hampton, a part of the residency program at the Pueblo Rescue Mission said.
“It is a life line. You really can't function without it if you don't have a place to take showers, a place to sleep, a regular place to wash your clothes, a regular place to eat healthy,” said another mission resident, Matthew Hernandez.
When the mission stopped offering daytime services and began transitioning into an overnight shelter, Safeside stepped up.
"So the day after they did that, we opened up where we did our groups as a day shelter, doing a drop in center so people could come there. I mean, some of these people are not in great health, and so just walking around outside in the heat wasn't good for them,” Miller said.
Safeside implemented a daily schedule and assigned chores.
“We're kind of rebuilding a few things that were being done or intended to be done, but never really got done, right,” Miller said.
He said around 30 people are a part of the outreach and residency group and every night around 50 come to the mission for a meal. We asked Miller what his hope was for the mission going forward.
“I think it can be great. It's the city's going to take over, and they are already starting to fix some things. They're fixing some plumbing, and they're fixing some of the issues,” Miller said.
Miller applauds the city by stepping up to take over. He hopes by 2025, another organization or entity will take over the mission completely.
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