What would America look like, if we were a nation without Faith?
Representative Doug Lamborn (CO-05)
Congressman Lamborn describes the charitable work performed by faith-based organizations in Colorado.
My hometown of Colorado Springs, CO, is home to hundreds of churches and religious non-profits.
These organizations do more than just provide services for Colorado residents to attend on Sunday. They also reach out and provide bridges of friendship in our communities, and they bring relief to those most in need.
For example, one rescue mission in the Pikes Peak Region provides basic food and shelter for those in need. They also connect all people — regardless of circumstances — with experts to help with job training and rehabilitation.
In 2016 alone, the rescue mission distributed nearly 300,000 meals, provided a place of refuge for a collective 27,000 nights, and performed over 46,000 hours of job training and counseling.
As elected officials, we look at statistics and trends. We analyze numbers and spreadsheets, trying to find a solution that will help as many people as possible. But it is the people on the ground who really make a difference in individual people’s lives. Church members and charity organizers know the people they serve. They know their names. They shake their hands. They talk to them face to face, and they can ask questions and work one-on-one to bring people out of poverty.
It is my hope that our government will get out of the way and let faith-based organizations continue to do their work. When religious groups have freedom to make their own decisions without government interference, they bless the lives of individuals and families in our communities. They do more than provide food or shelter — what they really provide is hope.