Mission Statement:  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. 

• 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 the working poor people 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.

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