The Homeless Outreach Program Engaged (HOPE) is one of the many outreach programs of the Colorado Springs Fellowship Church, which ministers to and delivers mobile street outreach to homeless individuals and families in the Colorado Springs community. We minister to the physical and spiritual needs by seeking out the homeless on the streets, under bridges, along railroad tracks and in temporary shelters. Once found, they are offered basic survival items, spiritual aid, food, sleeping bags, coats, and other necessities. Through love, kindness and consistent contact, the outreach team seeks to build a basic level of trust to assess the needs of those served. Outreach workers offer referrals and, if accepted, will transport individuals to needed community services. Individuals who require longer term services are referred to the program Care Coordinator for follow up case management.
Target group or special population served: homeless individuals and families, runaways and individuals in temporary nonprofit shelters. Items offered at contact: food, personal hygiene supplies, transportation assistance, water, emergency supplies such as socks, shoes etc. Our team works together with the Church Pastor and Counselors to assess the homeless person’s problems and identify how to help them from a range of solutions. Whether their homelessness has been caused by loss of income, psychological problems, substance abuse, lack of job training, or other problems, multiple options are available to assist each person. This approach not only provides short-term answers but also develops permanent solutions.