Meeting Homelessness with Hope: One Community’s Response

Former and current leaders (Larry Yonker and Jack Briggs) at the Springs Rescue Mission (Colorado Springs, Colorado) have collaborated with two more authors to publish a new book offering lessons for those interested in helping resolve homelessness, poverty, and addiction. Meeting Homelessness with Hope: One Community’s Response [EMT Communications] tells the story of how the mission has partnered with the community, city leadership, businesses, and foundations, to work together on solutions.

Homelessness is a complex and growing problem in America. It cannot be “solved,” but it can be managed, and some approaches work better than others. At a time when cities its size have thousands of unsheltered homeless on their streets at night, Colorado Springs has less than 400. Meeting Homelessness with Hope explores why this is so.

“Meeting Homelessness with Hope doesn’t oversimplify the problem or the solution. It acknowledges people are homeless for a wide variety of reasons and demonstrates why one-size-fits-all solutions will fail. The remedy requires hard work and resources, but it also requires basic compassion, meeting every homeless person where they are, and determining what will motivate them to consider improving their circumstances.”— John Suthers, Colorado Springs Mayor (2015-2023)

This is the story of one community’s approach to homelessness based on compassion and collaboration that can be measured by results and outcomes. May it inspire you to do what you can in your sphere of influence to help your homeless neighbors find their way home.

The 300+ organizations in Citygate Network membership seek to move people in desperate situations and destitute conditions (i.e., hungry, homeless, abused, and addicted) from human suffering to human flourishing through the process of gospel-powered life transformation. If you or someone you love is in need of Christ-centered compassion and care, please visit our member locator page today to find a mission near you.