Westside CARES Expands Empty Stocking Fund Services

The Colorado Springs nonprofit, founded by west-side churches, offers nursing, housing, and food assistance at a single site.

Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Philanthropy

Photograph of a plain low-rise community building with a wooden entry door under a wide clear sky, with mountain foothills in the distance. — Westside CARES expanded its Empty Stocking Fund services in Colorado Springs, offering nursing, rent and mortgage help, housing navigation, and food assistance at a single site. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Westside CARES expanded its services through the Empty Stocking Fund, a Colorado Springs assistance effort. The nonprofit, founded by several churches gathered at Bethany Lutheran Church, serves neighbors across the west side.

Why it matters

Westside CARES says it is committed to expanding the consistency of its services as inflation and the rising cost of living strain households. The organization focuses on both preventive and remedial programming for residents in Colorado Springs.

Westside CARES reports 27 member-faith communities, more than 375 volunteers, and 1,000 donors, and is one of 20 partner agencies supported by the Empty Stocking Fund. Last year it donated over 40,000 food bags, with nearly one-third of pantry recipients being children, though the source does not report funding totals.

The players

Westside CARES

A Colorado Springs nonprofit founded by several churches from the west side of the city, comprising 27 member-faith communities and offering preventive and remedial assistance.

Empty Stocking Fund

A charitable fund that supports 20 partner agencies, including Westside CARES, in providing holiday and year-round assistance to families in need.

The details

Westside CARES offers nursing, rent and mortgage assistance, housing navigation, identification services, and mail services at a single site. Its housing team advocated for a veteran for months before he found a stable and permanent living situation.

Last year (2025): Westside CARES prevented dozens of evictions and donated 40,000 food bags.

Legacy of Local Care

Westside CARES traces no direct lineage to the El Paso County Poor Farm, which operated from 1900 to 1984 at 21st Street and Gold Camp Road before it was demolished. The nonprofit instead reflects a shift from county-run poor relief toward a network of churches coordinating food, housing, and identification services.

Residents facing rent or mortgage pressure can seek housing navigation, rent assistance, and identification services at Westside CARES in one location. Families who rely on food pantries can access the organization's donated food bags, with children making up nearly one-third of recipients.

The takeaway

Localized, faith-based coordination can bundle housing, food, and identification help in one place, lowering the barriers that keep neighbors from getting assistance. Residents facing rising costs can contact local nonprofits directly about the services available on the west side.