COLORADO SPRINGS — It has been a good month for getting homeless people in Colorado Springs into stable housing.
"We're actually celebrating 38 individuals who left this campus and now are reintegrated with their families with their loved ones in stable housing," said Springs Rescue Mission Chief Development Officer, Travis Williams.
The number is a one-month record for the homeless aid resource.
Leaders at the rescue mission want the community to know there are individuals making their way back to more permanent housing and better more stable lives.
“It takes thousands of people coming together in this community to create the right kind of environments, to provide the right services for individuals who are struggling with homelessness and poverty, addiction,” said Williams.
The rescue mission offers resources for mental health, physical health, job coaching, and life coaching.
Credit is also given to community members willing to look past the stigma of homelessness and offer jobs or an affordable place to live.
Williams said, “Our teams are going out and connecting with others in the community saying, ‘Hey, we've got somebody who has performed well in our programs, would you be willing to take a chance on them in your place of employment’?”
New housing does not mean all problems are miraculously solved.
There is follow-up by rescue mission staff.
“We call it aftercare, where there's opportunities to check in and we're proactively checking in with individuals to do everything we can to help somebody stay successfully housed and hopefully never return to the rescue mission,” said Williams.
38 people getting into housing is worth recognizing.
It is also important to note there are still hundreds relying on Springs Rescue Mission services.
The mission is largely supported by donations and grants.
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