COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — Walking through the building of Westside Cares on Colorado Ave in Old Colorado City, CEO Kristy Milligan highlighted the numerous donations that came through just ahead of Christmas.
This time of year, she said, warm clothes donations like coats, scarves, and hats are vital for the people they serve. Milligan also noted that bottled water is one of their greatest needs since the city doesn’t have many public drinking fountains open year-round.
“Westside Cares serves 10,000 people experiencing poverty and homelessness on the west side of El Paso County every year with programs like rental assistance, food assistance, utility support, mail service, and so much more,” said Milligan.
The back pantry of Westside Cares was stocked full of food donations. She said that’s typical for this time of year, during the holiday season. But she said having donations piled high throughout their headquarters was atypical, crediting the generosity of the El Paso County community.
Westside Cares, which has operated for over 40 years, is one of 20 nonprofit agencies partnered with the Empty Stocking Fund. Milligan said they’ve been partnered for the last 19 years.
“The Empty Stocking Fund provides foundational funding that allows us to stabilize our programs and offer services to our community irrespective of what's going on in the community,” Milligan said. “We know that we are seeing escalating need, and the Empty Stocking Fund allows us to divert funding to the most essential programming right now to help our neighbors in need.”
The Empty Stocking Fund has operated in the Pikes Peak region since 1984. Apart from Westside Cares, it partners with other local health and human service agencies in the Pikes Peak region, such as Catholic Charities, Mt. Carmel Veteran Service Center, and Pikes Peak Hospice and Palliative Care.
The Empty Stocking Fund was first created around Thanksgiving time in 1984 through the Gazette newspaper.
“The newspaper started to write stories about families who were in need over the holidays, and from Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve, over $40,000 rolled into the newspaper, and 27 families were helped,” said Kelly Spieker, program and events manager for the Gazette Charities Foundation.
“About 10 years later, they pivoted and started to support the nonprofits in the community that were providing services to those in need,” Spieker said.
This year, their fundraising campaign launched over Thanksgiving and ends on Jan. 24. Their partner agencies have expressed a growing need this holiday season for the direct services they provide.
“Last year, the campaign brought in $1.638 million thanks to this generous community, and that's an amazing number,” said Danielle Ramacciotti, executive director of the Gazette Charities Foundation. “But of course due to that growing need, we're hoping to do even more this year.”
Ramacciotti said economic headwinds and affordability issues impacting pocketbooks haven’t deterred the southern Colorado community from donating thus far. She said that’s a testament to the importance of their campaign each year.
As for Kristy Milligan and the work done through Westside Cares, she said the conversation around poverty and homelessness needs to keep the focus on those being served.
“The Empty Stocking Fund is a great start to solving the problems, but the first thing that we have to remember is that it is human beings that we are talking about,” said Milligan. “They are human beings that need to be loved and not problems that need to be fixed. And when we can come together in a sense of community, we can move mountains together.”
For those wishing to donate, they can do so on the Empty Stocking Fund website.
Ramacciotti and Spieker, with the Gazette Charities Foundation, said 100% of an individual’s donation goes to the nonprofits and their direct services. And right now, donations are matched up to 50% thanks to matching partners like the Bruni Foundation, Chapman Foundation, and El Pomar Foundation.
Email Senior Reporter Brett Forrest at brett.forrest@koaa.com. Follow @brettforrestTV on X and Brett Forrest News on Facebook.
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