Soup Kitchen
Shelter Stays
Case Management
Hygiene & Supplies Distribution
contact
- 719-589-5909 (ext. 203 / option #2)
- 913 State Ave | Alamosa, CO
Enrolled Shelter Guests
Enrolled shelter guests have completed our intake process and background check. Guests are assigned a bed in a family room, a 1st floor accessible room, women’s dormitory, or men’s dormitory. They are welcome to a 30 day stay (extensions are provided on a case by case basis). Guests commit to our community living guidelines, including sober-living.
Enrolled shelter guests are assigned a case manager to work on individualized goals, whether that be housing, employment or something else.
During their stay, enrolled shelter guests have access to these resources:
- Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
- Supplies such as seasonal gear, hygiene items, and clothing
- Laundry service
- Mail service
- 24/7 access to common rooms and restrooms
- Storage for valuables and medications
- Limited storage for other personal items
Temporary Cot Night Guests
For individuals that need a safe, warm place to stay but haven’t completed our full intake process, the Shelter offers cot nights (temporary beds that are setup in the common rooms).
Availability of cots is not guaranteed but offered on a first-come, first-serve basis depending on the capacity of staff.
Check in is 8:30pm / checkout is 6:30am
Individuals can use a cot night one time, or repeatedly!
Community Members
The following services are offered to the entire community!
Lunch & Dinner: Homecooked meals are offered from 12pm-1pm and 5pm-6pm, 365 days a year!
Special Holiday Meals: We host special meals at lunchtime during the holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Supplies: You can pop by and ask staff for basic supplies. We usually have the following new or gently-used items in stock: clothing, shoes, underwear, seasonal gear, shampoo, conditioner, razors, toothbrushes, razors, diapers (size 1-pullups), deodorant, soap, and blankets.
Showers: Need a hot shower? You can sign up for a shower slot. Just ask one of the Shelter staff! We can also offer you a towel, shampoo, conditioner, soap and other hygiene items.
Mail Service: Don’t have a permanent address? You can use the shelter’s address as a safe place to receive your mail and small packages. Please come by weekly to check if mail is waiting for you!
Donate Your Time
Volunteers help keep our shelter running!
We welcome anyone who wants to prepare and serve a meal at the shelter. Due to the influx of donations, we also need help organizing donations in our office and storage sheds. Finally, we welcome help with building and yard maintenance to keep our facilities clean and safe.
For more information on how to volunteer at the shelter, please call La Puente’s Volunteer Coordination office at 719-587-3499 or email [email protected]
Donate Food & Supplies
The Shelter serves as a distribution hub for basic supplies! New and gently-used items greatly benefit our guests and other community members!
Preferred Donation Time: Between 8am-4pm (ring doorbell to talk to staff!)
Donate food: Food donations are greatly appreciated since we can often serve up to 70 plates per meal! Canned goods are especially appreciated for feeding large groups of people through our community meals. We also are thrilled when we receive frozen meat, fresh produce, and unopened condiments/spices!
Donate hygiene items: We provide hygiene kits for guests and community members in need. These kits include basic travel-sized items such as shampoo, conditioner, soap, deodorant, toothbrushes, toothpaste, feminine hygiene products, razors, etc.
Donate clothing: We like to keep a small stock of clothing on hand at all times for community members in need. Most needed items are: sweatpants, socks, underwear, bras, sweatshirts, t-shirts, pajamas and casual wear, coats, and shoes.
Donate home goods: The shelter is often short on towels, bedlinens, blankets, cleaning supplies, ceramic dishes, mugs, and silverware.
Donate Financially
The Shelter is mostly funded by grants. Individual donations goes into our pool of “unrestricted funds” which helps fill in the gaps and meet the unique needs of our
Since we are in a rural area, donations are eligible for a 30% Colorado Homeless Contribution Tax Credit (HCTC) if you are a Colorado resident and your gift is $100+
To give and learn more about tax credits, CLICK HERE to visit our donation page
Why do we need a homeless shelter?
Today many in our community find themselves homeless and in need. Homelessness impacts all communities and is the result of poverty. Within homelessness there are many stigmas and the public response to individuals in crisis often experience a lack of compassion. People find themselves in need for many reasons, whether it’s because of addiction, mental health, or domestic violence, anyone can find themselves without shelter or other basic needs. Regardless of their situation, we seek to be a home, willing and able to support people get back on their feet.
How does the shelter meet needs?
The shelter meets community need by offering people a safe place to stay as they work to get back on their feet. Within five days of entering the shelter doors, guests are assigned a case manager who works with guests on their development of a 30-day plan that fits with the goal of getting our guests closer to independent living. Depending on their needs, a case manager helps connect guests with employment navigation and readiness services, housing navigation, or assists with referrals to other programs in the community for further support. Guests engage in development their personal plan to transition out of the shelter.
Annually, the facility provides over 10,000 nights of provisional lodging as well as community outreach services including hygiene kits, shower facilities, clothing, shoes, diapers, and other necessities that many in our community are without.
Over 50,000 meals are served on an annual basis. Each meal is prepared by shelter staff members, community volunteers, or workgroups. The food used for each meal is donated by the generosity of others. La Puente’s shelter serves three meals a day; while breakfast is just for shelter guests, both lunch and dinner are open to the entire community.