At Denver Rescue Mission, we are thrilled and overwhelmed to report double the participation in the 2020 Housewarming Box program from 2019. In a year that has presented so many challenges, we are so grateful to more than 350 supporters in the community that responded to serve families in need this holiday season.
The Housewarming Box program invites the community to make a difference during the holiday season by filling storage bins with essential household and hygiene supplies for families. Supplies requested also include urgently-needed items like diapers, baby wipes and grocery store gift cards. After the program was featured on 9News on the Friday and Saturday following Thanksgiving, we received a flood of hundreds of registrants committing to provide Housewarming Boxes. We knew the response from the community was going to be something we had never experienced, and we began preparing with our warehouse to receive over 900 storage bins!
Thank You to Everyone Who Donated Boxes!
On December 11 and 12, Housewarming Boxes arrived in droves in a drive-thru drop-off event at the Ministry Outreach Center. We experienced the generosity of so many – families, colleagues, church members, neighborhood groups and seniors – all who filled bins together with supplies and pooled their resources for gift cards. They included holiday greeting cards with heart-felt messages for the families who would receive their boxes. Sponsors were insistent that they had to do something to help those in need, especially this year. We filled more than 60 palettes with Housewarming Boxes, and stored them in every available corner at our warehouse.
The Families You Helped This Christmas
On December 17, we hosted the distribution event where 450 families received these valuable items in time for Christmas. These recipients have been served by Family Rescue Ministry and Family Refugee Services, programs at the Mission that support families on the brink of homelessness to move into long-term housing.
The majority of the families are single mothers with children and families from other countries with minimal relational or resource support. The Housewarming Box program helps to take the pressure off their ability to meet their rental payments or bills. Through the gift cards, it also gives them the ability to purchase additional items for their family like groceries, gasoline or Christmas gifts for their children that otherwise they could not afford.
As the families received their Housewarming Boxes, their eyes were filled with gratitude. “My heart and my children’s hearts are overwhelmed with joy, and we thank everyone within your organization for all the help and love we have received,” one recipient said. “We are truly blessed to benefit. We don’t know who filled our boxes personally but we are thankful and beyond grateful for the angels who did.”
Thank you to all who participated in the Housewarming Box program. You have poured out kindness, and truly brought hope to families this holiday season.
Written by: Christine Branson, Events Specialist
