| |
|
| |
The
Douglas/Elbert Task
Force endeavors to
meet the immediate
needs of residents
of Douglas and
Elbert County who
are in financial
distress and at risk
of becoming
homeless, to help
them work through
troublesome times
with dignity.
Brief History:
in 1984, local
parishioners of
several Castle Rock
churches joined
forces to create a
centralized location
to send people in
need. The founders
also wanted to
encourage
volunteerism by
providing
opportunities for
the members of their
congregations to
become directly
involved with the
needs in their
communities. In the
past 25 years, the
Task Force has
expanded services to
include all of
Douglas and Elbert
Counties.
 In 2008, the Task
Force provided
$742,269 in client
assistance, 16% over
2007.
•
The Task Force’s
goal is to meet the
needs of financially
distressed families
and people in
crisis. We
address immediate
needs by
consistently
providing
counseling, food and
other necessities
for homeless, low
income and those in
need
in our community.
• We
concentrate on the
causes of hunger by
actively working on
issues that affect
the newly
unemployed, the
unemployed and those
on fixed incomes,
disabled and the
elderly. We
meet these
challenges with over
130 volunteers, one
full-time and eight
part-time staff.
• Each
client receives
one-on-one
counseling. We
provide quality
screening, service
delivery and
meaningful referrals
for clients.
Task Force client
walk-in client
service hours are 9
am – 12 pm, M-F.
• This
past fiscal year
(January – December
2008), we served
13,483 people
Over half the people
who receive our
services are
children.
• Task
Force Volunteers
provided 17,315.5
hours of service in
2008, valued at
$337,825, the
equivalent of 11.25
full-time staff.
Community Service
Volunteers
contributed an
additional 4,638
hours, valued at
$46,380, the
equivalent of 1.5
full-time staff.
The major
services the Task
Force provides are:
•
Food and Toiletries:
approximately 92.5%
of our clients
receive these basic
services. We
also provide
diapers, formula,
and special dietary
items. In 2008, we
distributed $400,435
in food, hygiene and
household supplies,
14% more than 2007.
•
We conduct two
off-site Food Banks
monthly at
low-income senior
housing units,
providing
approximately
$75,000 of
food/hygiene
assistance per year
to senior citizens
in need.
•
Housing Assistance:
we assist clients
who present eviction
or foreclosure
notices with up to
$250 in financial
assistance in order
to prevent
homelessness, and
help clients with
security deposits to
obtain new living
arrangements.
We provided $68,479
in assistance in
2008 for 274
households, 15% more
than in 2007.
•
Utility Assistance:
we provide utility
assistance (heat,
electric, water) to
clients with
shut-off notices.
We provided $105,669
in 2008 for 458
households, 7% more
than the previous
year.
•
Emergency Overnight
Lodging: in
conjunction with the
Police and Sheriff’s
Departments, we
provide vouchers for
two nights lodging
for homeless or
transient
individuals and
families. We
provided $24,273 in
2008, 3% more than
in 2007.
•
Transportation
Assistance: we
provide bus travel
vouchers and gas
vouchers to those
with verifiable job
interviews or doctor
appointments.
We provided $3,000
in gasoline
assistance in 2008.
We provided $715 in
bus tickets in 2008,
24% more than in
2007, relocating
victims of domestic
violence, and
providing one-way
transportation for
homeless individuals
to either Denver or
Colorado Springs.
•
Prescription and
Dental Assistance:
we provide one-time
non-narcotic
prescription and
dental assistance
for verifiable
emergency
situations.
Prescription/dental
expenses totaled
$3,552 in 2008, 20%
more than in 2007.
•
Clothing, Household
Items: clients
may “shop” for free
in our Thrift Store
for clothing and
shoes, household
items and furniture.
We distributed over
20,000 items
from the Thrift
Store in 2008 valued
at $79,946, 32% more
than 2007.
•
ID Documentation:
we assist clients in
securing the
documentation needed
for housing
applications, school
and social services
including Colorado
State ID’s, birth
certificates, police
records, etc.
•
Information and
Referral:
staff and volunteers
make thousands of
referrals annually
connecting clients
to other agencies
and resources to
provide long-term
solutions to
problems.
•
176 families were
sponsored by 102
different community
individuals and
organizations for
the holidays in
2008. (Sixteen of
these families were
provided gifts from
our Holiday Room.)
Parents may also use
this room year round
if they cannot
afford birthday
gifts for their
children, or if
their child needs a
new gift to attend
another’s birthday
party.
Assisting the
Community with
Compassion
|
|
|
|
|
|
404 A Jerry Street
Castle Rock, CO 80104
PH: 303-688-1114
FX: 303-688-3163
map
email
Client Service Hours
Mon-Fri 9am-12 noon
Food Bank Hours
Mon-Fri 9am-12 noon
Last food order
taken at 11:45 am
|
|
 |
|