Denver Rescue Mission gears up for Arctic blast
As Colorado braces for bitter cold temperatures, Denver Rescue Mission is gearing up to serve the maximum amount of people it can. The shelter will maximize it's space to give a bed to as many people as possible, add extra staff to accommodate the extra guests, and serve more hot meals.
"We do everything that we can to make sure that someone who is seeking warmth can find it because the alternative is scary," said Dennis Van Kampen, President & CEO of the Denver Rescue Mission.
The City of Denver has extended it's cold weather shelter activation, which includes Denver Rescue Mission's Lawrence Street Community Center as a resource for men. In addition to taking in extra guests, the Mission provides food for all the city's shelter locations.
"We do 1.2 million meals a year just through the Denver Rescue Mission, so we're pretty good at it, and the ability that we have to scale up to meet the cold weather shelter need is really important," Van Kampen explained.
When temperatures dip below freezing, frostbite can occur within 10 minutes or less on exposed skin. As the body looses heat, people are at risk of hypothermia, high blood pressure, heart attack, pain in feet and hands, and respiratory issues. It's imperative for everyone to have a safe, warm place to stay out of the cold.
"When we see people coming in that we don't see regularly, it's an opportunity. For them, it's about a life saving place to go. For us, it's an opportunity to start building relationships," Van Kampen said.
For the last 9-years, CBS Colorado has partnered with Denver Rescue Mission to Spread the Warmth through the winter months. The campaign is designed to raise awareness and donations so the Mission can continue saving lives.
"One of our tag lines here at Denver Rescue Mission is hope starts here, and that's really true. Hope starts here. Here can be a warm bed. Here can be a warm meal, and then our job is to come along side them," Van Kampen added.
Every person who goes to the shelter will have an intake conversation with a staff member. It's an opportunity to connect them with whatever resources they might be open to and to talk to them about their path out of homelessness. While an Arctic blast is an opportunity to reach more people, it's also a drain on the Mission's resources.
"We will be serving more meals than we would normally serve so that taxes resources. We'll have more staff that we'll have to bring in if we get more people in the shelter, and just like everyone else, when it gets cold, more heat. Utility bills go higher. It really does tax us," Van Kampen said.
LINK: Spread the Warmth
Denver Rescue Mission needs donations of warm weather gear; hats, gloves, coats, boots, socks, underwear. You can also make a cash donation through CBS Colorado's Spread the Warmth campaign.