FORT COLLINS, Colo. — The kitchen fire that broke out at the Fort Collins Rescue Mission last weekend has left the homeless shelter inoperable for weeks, if not months, leaders say.
This week, generous Scripps News Denver viewers were able to give Rescue Mission staff a little bit of a lift.
While the Rescue Mission works to secure temporary space for those with nowhere else to go, Denver7 Gives and Walmart packed cars with bedding and towels on Thursday,
Scripps News Denver Gives provided $1,000 worth of sheets, while the Walmart Supercenter in Fort Collins donated 50 sets of towels. Those are items the homeless shelter always needs, but especially now.
“Having clean sheets makes a huge difference for our guests,” said Seth Forwood, Northern Colorado Vice President of Programs for the Rescue Mission. “We're also limited in our laundry services, and so it helps our staff to have a supply of clean sheets that don't need to be laundered, that if they're wearing a pinch, we can just get these sheets right on the bed and get people a nice rest for the time.”
Forwood also pointed out that without the main shelter building, the Rescue Mission’s guests have limited access to showers.
A new, larger shelter is under construction, but it is not slated to open until late 2026.
The Rescue Mission is using a temporary shelter just a few blocks away from the damaged shelter building, but will need roughly twice as much space once cold weather arrives.
“Last winter, there was one night where we had to turn away 13 men, even with 159 bed spaces,” said Forwood. “And so we're gonna need much more than 160 beds this winter, I believe.”
With that extra need for space, extra sheets will come in handy.
“We’re in a tight spot,” Forwood said. “It feels like a month, within a couple of days of work... We have to say, thanks to the overwhelming support that we've gotten. You know, my phone is blowing up. There's donations coming in from all sorts of people. Thank you and your listeners for being able to provide this for us. It's going to really help us out.”
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