Together, We Make the Holidays Brighter

This holiday season, we are filled with immense gratitude for the outpouring of support we received from our generous community. Because of your support earlier this fall, thousands of people in need received Thanksgiving meals, and daily we serve more people struggling with homelessness and poverty. 

The Impact of Your Generosity 

As a community, you helped us collect a staggering 15,780 turkeys! These donations were truly needed this year, as we witnessed a growing need for assistance this fall as we distributed more turkeys to community partners, individuals and families than ever before.

“This is a gift for me from God because I’m not only going to feed myself, but I’m also going to feed my homeless nephew and brother too. So this means a lot to me. To have this is very special. Without Denver Rescue Mission I wouldn’t have a meal. And so I’m very grateful for everyone, the volunteers and everything.”

Susan, Thanksgiving Banquet-in-a-Box Recipient

Thanks to Your Help…

• Our kitchen teams cooked more than 121 turkeys, serving approximately 1,000 traditional Thanksgiving meals to guests and program participants across various Mission locations. 
• At our Thanksgiving Banquet-in-a-Box event, we distributed a record-breaking 3,039 turkeys, along with all the fixings for a complete Thanksgiving feast, to families in need. 
• We also handed out 12,318 turkeys directly to 112 partner agencies and organizations across the metro area, empowering them to provide holiday meals to their clients in-need. 

We also want to extend our heartfelt appreciation to the many volunteers and sponsors who dedicated their time and support to make this holiday season so special. Without your additional help, we could not provide meals, shelter, a food pantry, and rehabilitation and transitional programs for so many. 

Your Support Is Critical Right Now 

Denver Rescue Mission is supported mainly by the generosity of individuals in our community who want to help people in need. And that support has made an incredible impact, especially as the needs in our community continue to grow as we rapidly approach the end of 2023.

“When I first came here, I didn’t think I had another day in me, but the Mission has given me more than a day. I have all my life.”

This year will be a record year for the Mission:  

• We are on track to provide 1.2 million meals in 2023—the most ever! In fact, over the first 10 months of 2023 we served 35 percent more meals at our Denver shelters alone compared to the same stretch in 2022.  
• From January until mid-November, we saw 4,653 individuals come through our in-take process at our Lawrence Street Community Center. That’s a 30 percent increase compared to the same period last year. 
• Since 2020, we have also expanded our Case Management team and services – and seen a record number of individuals housed each year since. The need is great, but the opportunity for us to impact lives together is even greater! 

On the surface, this all looks positive, but the challenges ahead are daunting:   

• The City of Denver is on track to see more than 12,000 evictions in 2023, which would surpass the previous record of 10,241 set in 2010 in the wake of the Great Recession. 
• Nearly all of the COVID-era government-supported programs put in place to help low-income households affected the most by the pandemic have ended, and with housing costs still rising, and high inflation still in place, many are struggling to stay in their homes. 
• The migrant crisis also continues to put pressure on the city’s shelter system, including the Mission’s shelter locations.  

Over the past four months, the Mission has fallen short of our fundraising goals by nine percent. Our aim is to close out 2023 on a strong financial note, allowing us to: 

• Show the love of Jesus to those in need  
• Provide robust services for both immediate needs and long-term success 
• Help more individuals become housed throughout the winter months and into 2024 

But we can’t do this alone.