Community steps up to help starving mother and child in Fountain

FOUNTAIN, Colo. (KRDO) - The Fountain Police Department turned to the community for help after finding a mother and her 7-year-old child on the brink of starvation Monday.

Fountain police said the Fountain Housing Authority encountered the two during a home visit and immediately called 911. The police said they called the fire department, who transported the two to a local hospital for immediate medical attention. The city said the two would not have made it more than a few additional days without being treated.

There was still one crucial need left to be addressed. Food.

"After the detectives and firefighters saw the situation, they immediately reached out to the community for help via social media," the City of Fountain said Tuesday in a Facebook post.

More specifically, the fire department reached out to Carey Adams with 'God's Pantry,' a food pantry and second-hand store in southern Colorado Springs. God's Pantry offers five free food items a day to Colorado residents.

"They were kind of distressed," Adams said. "They said they needed a resource for a family that didn't have any food. And we said, 'Come on down.'"

Adams said it's an unfortunate reality faced by more Colorado residents than the average person would expect. She said it's a reality she's working to change.

"In this day and age, it's really sad that our neighbors are hungry, and we don't want anybody to go hungry. You can get food from us every day, and our shelves are full," Adams said.

Police said another individual donated an air conditioner unit to the family. They said the seven-year-old child is still in the hospital, but when released, will come home to stocked shelves. For Adams' part, she said the true heroes are the first responders.