COLORADO SPRINGS — As snow and freezing temperatures grip Colorado Springs this week, the Springs Rescue Mission is offering people a warm and safe place to go.
Cameron Moix with Springs Rescue Mission said when it snows or temperatures drop below freezing, more people come through their doors.
"People are coming together to get ready and help everyone that we can off the streets," Moix said.
Moix said the mission is prepared to shelter anywhere from 600 to 650 people.
"We have shelter options for people who just need to come in for a night or a week, you know, just straight off the street," Moix said.
"On nights like this, on days like this, we're always hoping to get as many as we possibly can," Moix said.
During the day, the mission also offers a day center where guests can stay warm and spend time indoors.
"So on days like this when nobody wants to go outside, our guests can go from the nightly shelter over to the day center, and they can watch TV, charge their phones. A lot of people do puzzles or art projects," Moix said.
He said cold snaps like this one are an opportunity to connect people experiencing homelessness with the resources and services the mission offers — including those who may have been resistant to seeking help.
"See this as an opportunity to encourage those who might not have come to our campus yet to come. That happens quite a bit, people who are homeless, living on the streets, who are resistant to seeking services for one reason or another," Moix said. "The weather gets just bad enough and they see that as a reason to say, okay, I'll go for a night and then a night becomes a week and then they get into programs and we see those as opportunities to help people."
While the shelter is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, Moix said the best time to arrive is between 4 and 6 p.m. so people can get checked in, get a meal, and settle in for the night.
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