You might wonder how people working so hard to take care of others can keep going and stay optimistic, despite the challenges they face.
Here’s one answer, courtesy of Kristy Milligan, CEO of Westside CARES. It happened Dec. 2, and she calls it “one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen.”
That day, Milligan accompanied KC, a neighbor (what the nonprofit’s staffers call their clients), to his new apartment.
“It had taken weeks of planning, ordering documents, filling out paperwork and traveling all over town to prepare. KC, a 65-year old veteran who has been homeless on and off for over a decade, set his bag down and looked around at the place he will now call home forever, and breathed a sigh of relief,” she recalled.
Gratifying moments like that are how Milligan and her small but mighty staff and pool of volunteers keep going.
Westside CARES, a collaboration of 23 religious fellowships in western El Paso County, was founded in 1984. Operations moved from a church basement into a spacious building in Old Colorado City in September 2013.
That’s given Milligan and the part-time, paid staffers much more space to help people in need. They are the chief operating officer, director of programs, director of advocacy, director of volunteer engagement, a faith community nurse (from Penrose/St. Francis Health System) and two facilities managers.
Year-round, that includes rental/utilities assistance, food pantries, clothing, documentation, mail services and medical support.
“We are a people-first, relationship-first organization that strives to offer all its programs with a minimum of bureaucracy,” Milligan said.
This time of year, Westside CARES offers the Adopt-A-Family program to improve the holidays for local families who might be operating on very tight budgets. People interested in participating may call 389-0759, ext.108.
Over the years, the volunteer staff has grown to over 400 people, but COVID-19 put a dent in that. Milligan said that number has rebounded to about 90 percent of the pre-pandemic volunteer pool.
Opportunities are available on a weekly basis or for short-term commitments to special projects, depending on the season.
“The single most important characteristic of a potential volunteer is a desire to serve alongside our neighbors in a beloved community: offering support and deepening relationships. We believe that relationship is the conduit of transformation — it’s how people begin to see their own innate worth and dream for the future,” Milligan said.
She’s proud (and maybe a little amazed) that Westside CARES has been able to broaden and deepen its services as need increased during the pandemic.
“Westside CARES never missed a day of serving its neighbors, and has amplified its most essential programs to meet emerging needs, including rental assistance, food pantries, housing navigation and mail service,” Milligan said.
They’ve studied what is most needed during the challenging times and increased rental assistance by 500 percent and food pantries by 250 percent.
That’s partly thanks to funds raised through the Give! campaign. Westside CARES has participated steadily for the past six years.
Since Milligan has led the nonprofit for four and a half years, she’s seen first-hand what Give! can accomplish. Last year, 202 Give! donors contributed $44,814.
“This amount provides rental assistance to 50 families to keep them stably housed, or allows us to purchase food for our six pantries for an entire year,” she said.
“Westside CARES has been continually humbled and surprised by the incredible generosity of our community.”
This year, they’re hoping to engage 200 donors through Give! They don’t set a goal for the amount of money raised because they know every donor is giving what they can.
“Whether it’s $10 or $1,000, every gift makes a huge difference in lives right here in our community,” Milligan said.
Participating in Give! helps Milligan, her staff and the volunteers meet new people who care about the community. They also learn more about what the neighbors need and how Westside CARES can rise to meet emerging needs.
They meet and learn from other Give! participants also working to help improve lives, and the campaign helps the community learn more about Westside CARES.
“Every dollar we raise can help bring hope, health and home to the people we serve, when they need it, with a minimum of dehumanizing bureaucracy,” Milligan said.
ABOUT WESTSIDE CARES
The nonprofit is at 2808 W. Colorado Ave. It serves the area between the Air Force Academy and Fort Carson, and between Interstate 25 and the El Paso/Teller county line. Information: www.westsidecares.org or 389-0759.
About the Give! campaign
Every year since 2009, nonprofits in El Paso and Teller counties have reaped the benefits of participating in the Give! campaign.
So far, Give! has helped 230 local nonprofits raise more than $14.6 million from more than 100,000 donations.
This year’s campaign is featuring 82 nonprofits. Some are located in Manitou Springs or Colorado Springs Westside, and they help make life in these areas better for everyone.
The campaign runs through midnight Friday, Dec. 31. Information: indygive.com or 577-4545, ext. 212.