Finding Help When You Need It Most

In life things happen that we can’t always plan for or control. Right now the economy is in the toilet. Our nation is seeing one of the worst financial crises since The Great Depression. It’s hard to find jobs and even harder to keep them. Last year, my husband and I dealt with 3 months of unemployment after almost 10 years of service in the Army. And as of last week, he is in the unemployment pool again. Fortunately for us, we have an easy out. My husband is reenlisting. Not something we wanted to do (we did get out after all) but, when times are tough you do what you have to do for your family. Not everyone is so lucky to have a guaranteed job waiting for them. So what can you do if you find yourself in such a position?

There are so many resources in Colorado Springs from food pantries to rental assistance programs to low cost medical. There are so many agencies that are out there to help people get back on their feet and these agencies can be hard to find. Because of our recent situation, I have done a lot of research and I am happy to pass the information on to you.

Care and Share
2520 Aviation Way, Suite 130 (80906) 528-6767
Offers a telephone referral service that provides information on a 3-day supply of emergency food, assistance with utilities, rent, clothing, prescription, and all other referrals. Care and Share serves as the Second Harvest food bank for the 31 counties of Southern Colorado. Hours Mon-Fri, 9am-1pm.

Food Stamp Program
17 N. Spruce (80905) 636-0000
It takes about 45 days for your food stamp application to go through. However, if you’re living expenses (rent and utilities) exceed your income, you could be eligible to receive benefits in as little as 7 days.

Share Colorado
Various Locations throughout the Front Range
This program is open to anyone regardless of income. This program allows households to increase their food purchasing power and food quality on a limited income. I have participated in Share Colorado in the past and for $50.00 I would get a huge box of meat, pre-packaged food and a ton of fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables. They accept cash, check, credit cards and food stamps. Online orders accepted. Please check their website for the latest food package and locations.

L.E.A.P (Low-Income Energy Assistance Program)
25 N. Spruce (80905) 442-0007
This program assists low-income households with winter heating costs Nov 1-April 30. Hours Mon-Fri 8am-11:30am, 1pm- 4:30pm

Westside Cares
1930 W Colorado Ave, Bethany Baptist Church Basement (80904) 389-0759
They offer many services including: food pantry, rental assistance, C.O.P.E, utility assistance, Sunday evening meal, life skills counseling, and some financial assistance. This program is for Westside residents only. Hours Mon-Thurs 9:30am-12:30pm, Thurs 5pm-7pm.

Ecumenical Social Ministries
201 N. Weber (80903) 636-1916
This agency has many services including rental assistance, food pantry, jobs programs, and utilities assistance. They provide assistance to families living in the following zip codes: 80903, 80905, 80906, 80907, 80909, 80910, 80916, or 80926. Mon-Fri 8am-4pm.


These are just a small sampling of resources. For a full list of resources please go to Community Partnership for Child Developement to download a copy of the 2008-2009 Community Resource Guide.

And remember, these agencies have the ability to help you but when you are in a stressful situation, the best thing you can do to help yourself is maintain a positive attitude. When one door closes an even better one will open.