Crossfire Ministries: Relocation & Expansion

Photo by Jerilee Bennett, The Gazette.

A place where Colorado Springs residents who are down and out can find some loving along with needed sustenance has expanded its ability to provide hope.

Six months later than expected, Crossfire Ministries has relocated its 30-year-old operation that distributes free food, hygiene products, clothing and household goods to a building that’s more than twice the size of where it's been for the past nine years.

COVID-related delays in shipping, permitting and other parts of the construction process pushed back the schedule, said Executive Director Renee Beebe, who grew up helping her parents run the organization and now is in charge.

Photo by Jerilee Bennett, The Gazette.

A place where Colorado Springs residents who are down and out can find some loving along with needed sustenance has expanded its ability to provide hope.

Six months later than expected, Crossfire Ministries has relocated its 30-year-old operation that distributes free food, hygiene products, clothing and household goods to a building that’s more than twice the size of where it's been for the past nine years.

COVID-related delays in shipping, permitting and other parts of the construction process pushed back the schedule, said Executive Director Renee Beebe, who grew up helping her parents run the organization and now is in charge. The model infuses dignity into what can be a difficult time, she said, turning charity into a more familiar experience. “We’ve created a space where they don’t feel different,” Beebe said. “Showing them dignity and respect is important.”

Care and Share Food Bank of Southern Colorado is the organization’s largest food supplier, she said, and in turn, Crossfire Ministries is Care and Share's largest food pantry. Crossfire's expansion will mean a lot to children, families and seniors in the community, said Care and Share’s CEO, Lynne Telford. “They provide ‘no-cost’ groceries in a dignified manner,” she said in an email. “They’re exceptional in how they serve our neighbors, providing choice in the variety of food families can receive.” Care and Share provided a record-breaking 25 million pounds of food in 2021 across 31 southern Colorado counties, Telford said, and has budgeted to provide the same amount this year. A decrease in donated food and increase in need means the food bank will focus on purchasing more food on its own and delivering more to rural areas, she said.

Crossfire, which started in a small building near Platte Avenue and Union Boulevard in 1992, also collects and gives away donated items to anyone who says they need help. Clients must register and provide some type of identification for everyone in the household, she said. It takes about 50 volunteers per day to run the program, according to Beebe, and up to 20 churches along with other organizations support the endeavors. An “amazing deal” led to the expansion, Beebe said.

The old carpet store property at 3975 N. Academy Blvd. was for sale for $3.2 million, but Crossfire obtained it in December 2020 for $2 million, she said. To help fund renovations, Crossfire sold its donated building on East La Salle Street for $700,000, according to assessor’s records. The complete remodel of the property cost about $2 million, Beebe said, which includes a new parking lot, new exterior stucco and rock, new flooring and lighting, upgraded cold storage and internal systems.

The 25,000-square-foot building also has rooms where Beebe envisions related services for clients, such as on-site health care and crisis counselors, employment assistance, classes on life skills and budgeting, and other training. “We want to lock arms with our families and support them beyond food and clothing, into services where we can have deeper relationships with them,” Beebe said. “We’re looking at how we can experience life with them differently.”


A ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned for Friday, with representatives from supporting churches, organizations and local government in attendance.

CRP Admin