Pueblo nonprofit rushing to serve hundreds of people on Christmas

A Pueblo nonprofit group is rushing to prepare meals for about a thousand hungry guests on Christmas. This comes after the Pueblo Rescue Mission decided not to host its annual Christmas meal.

For more than 20 years the rescue mission served the meal, but Director Greg Coolidge said the group did not have resources to serve the needy on Christmas after it helped hundreds of people have a meal on Thanksgiving as well as keep up with the day-to-day operations at the rescue mission.

As for letting people know the group was not hosting the meal a week before Christmas, Coolidge said he let other organizations know the rescue mission was not hosting the meal, but he wishes he could have got the word out better.

“There was some soft communication made way back during Thanksgiving. However, just being busy and lack of communication in different areas that wasn’t followed up on (led to this),” he said.

Since the Salvation Army and the Soup Kitchen will be closed on Christmas, another nonprofit group, POSADA, decided to pick up the slack.

Director Anne Stattelman said the group wants to continue the tradition and feed the people who are looking for a meal on Christmas.

She also said even though the challenge is great, she is optimistic that the group can feed the need.

“Well it is difficult, but it has been done every year and there was kind of a system to doing it. I’m hoping those same people come forward this year and kind of show us the ropes,” she said.

Coolidge said if POSADA needs help in any way, the group will help to the best of its abilities.

The meal is scheduled to happen on Christmas Day at 11 a.m. at the Pueblo Union Depot.

If you want to help contribute to the meal click here.