Denver Rescue Mission Steps Up Emergency Services During Arctic Blast

CBS News

17-01-2025

As Colorado drops into a deep freeze, Denver Rescue Mission is among the shelters that will be increasing capacity to protect residents.
The kind of subfreezing temperatures that are moving in will be dangerous to anyone living outside.
"People's lives are going to be threatened. People who would not ordinarily seek shelter, who would not come into a shelter for whatever reason, this weather drives them into shelter, and we're thankful for that it does because we don't want anyone to die out on the street because of the cold, however it puts a huge strain on our organization," said Dennis Van Kampen, President & CEO of the Denver Rescue Mission. "When we see far more people come in that means we need to add staff because we have to keep a safe environment, a productive environment. It means that we're going to serve a lot more food. It means we have a challenge if we can house everyone that wants to come."
Twenty-nine percent of the people in Denver who experience homelessness live outside. They stay in cars, in abandoned buildings, under bridges, or camp in the open. All of those people risk serious injury if not death if they don't find space inside.
"Our goal is to serve as many people as possible so that no one is out on the streets that doesn't want to be, but it really does tax our organization," Van Kampen explained.
As most of Colorado will hunker down in their homes through the arctic blast, the Denver Rescue Mission will be working overtime to keep people safe. Van Kampen says there are three ways that everyone can help.
"If you see someone on the streets and it's 5 below zero or five above with a wind chill, try to help them. If you're not comfortable talking to that person, then maybe you call for help, maybe you all the non-emergency police line and say, 'Can somebody go check on this individual who's on this corner or under this bridge?'" he explained. "Also, we are desperately looking for outer winter weather clothing for men and particularly the plus sizes - 2X, 3X, 4X. We're running low on that. One of the things we hope to do is make sure that when guests come to us and they leave and go back out in the cold, they can have a winter coat. They can have a hat, gloves, boots that they need."
Another way that everyone can help is by supporting the CBS Colorado Spread the Warmth campaign. The money that is donated goes directly to the Denver Rescue Mission, and will help to offset the increased cost of this emergency response.