On Saturday afternoon outside Springs Rescue Mission, a crowd gathered to enjoy warm food, hot chocolate and cookies – and even a professional haircut.
The Nov. 8 event was the official launch of Serving Hope, a new local nonprofit dedicated to addressing food insecurity, particularly among unhoused community members, in partnership with Food Trucks Against Homelessness and Broken Crayons Beauty, supporting the work of the Colorado Springs Homeless Union, which did its monthly cleanup of Dorchester Park during the event.
“We aim to restore dignity and confidence while offering restaurant-quality meals, essential care items, and grooming services to those in need – uplifting our neighbors with compassion, respect, and human connection,” Serving Hope said in a statement ahead of the event.
Serving Hope is the project of married couple Art and Lisa Martinez who recently retired from the U.S. Air Force.
“Our journey didn’t end with retirement,” the couple says on the Serving Hope website. “It evolved into a new mission: serving hope to those who need it most.”
Currency of Caring
A unique feature of Serving Hope is its Currency of Caring program in which patrons may purchase a token and gift it to someone in need, who may then redeem the token at a participating restaurant or food truck. This model was pioneered by Soulcial Kitchen, a partner of Serving Hope.
“The Currency of Caring program allows a donation of $10 to provide a person who is experiencing homelessness or food insecurity the opportunity to go to a restaurant and get a meal of their choice – so they’re dining with dignity,” Lisa told the Bulletin. “Or they can go to a food truck and get a choice of one of three proteins, a side and a drink with no questions asked.”
As they seek more restaurant and food truck partners, Serving Hope currently uses every 100 tokens purchased to provide over 100 free hot meals to those in need through events, working with community leaders to identify the populations most in need and the best ways to serve them.
Serving Hope also gives tokens to law enforcement, first responders and military leaders to distribute to persons in need.
Currency of Caring tokens can be purchased online or at participating food trucks or restaurants. Serving Hope also accepts tax-deductible donations.
Fresh cut, fresh start
James Eckhoff got a haircut and shave inside the Broken Crayons Beauty truck during the event.
“It’s great what they do,” Eckhoff said, adding that he would be moving into his own place in a few days.
Bike repair
Art spoke with the Bulletin while he was fixing a bike with a frayed gear shift cable during the Saturday event.
Being able to shift gears, Art said, is important in hilly Colorado Springs.
“When they’re having to go up a hill, and they can’t shift it to an easier gear, they’re going to have to get off their bike and walk it,” he said. “What this cable does is allow them to have that flexibility to maneuver up a hill or down a hill.”
Art said he worked at a bike shop in college and got into racing before joining the Department of Defense.
When the couple was stationed in Washington, D.C., they noticed many of their unhoused neighbors got around by bike but had no way to get repairs. Art said it was Lisa’s idea for him to do free repairs as part of their outreach.
He does bike repairs on Mondays between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. at Westside CARES while Lisa gives out hygiene products. Food Trucks Against Homelessness provides meals.
You can find Serving Hope online at Serving-Hope.org and at 719-301-5326.
