​12/1/2023  is CCO's  5th  year sharing home-cooked meals for anyone who is hungry!

Thank you to our volunteers!


Meals served from Casserole dishes.....sometimes homemade sandwiches and snacks.
Additional Local Food Resources
For questions: [email protected]

PREVIOUS EVENTS . . . December 21, 2019

Celebrate Christmas with Community Compassion Outreach on Saturday, December 21st!
We're celebrating Christmas with our brothers and sisters experiencing homelessness in Durango. Most of the people we serve have no family and some with families here are food-insecure or low-income workers. We don't know how many children will be joining us, but you are welcome to bring toys that we can distribute through the La Plata Family Center Coalition or local schools where 111 children are homeless. Those children plus their siblings & caretakers/parents deserve our holiday cheers. 

Mayor Melissa Youssef drops in . . . 8/24/2019

PictureMayor Youseff (left) with a CCO Board member Loretta Meushaw (R)
     A surprise visit from our friendly mayor. 
     Steve Baukat in the background grilling hot dogs while Mayor Melissa Youssef chats a volunteer. The mayor's four-legged companion looks like he's begging one of his own dogs. 
     We served sixty (60) hungry guests who are experiencing homelessness in Durango. Beautiful sunny day to share our picnics with our brothers and sisters who are food insecure.

Celebrating 37 weeks picnic sharing on August 10, 2019

Today, we had 25 food-burdened and the homeless sharing our picnic. Watermelon was a treat, thanks to Lynne Sholler. Steve Baukat could not keep up with the grilling of 50+ hot dogs for buns & condiments. We served iced tea, Union Casserole by Darren White & Chicken/Taters Casserole by Johnie Ragsdale, and bottled water. Cloudy skies kept the temperature moderate. 
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Great Crowd on Saturday, July 13, 2019 

Last Saturday was a cloudy day as we shared our picnic with the food-burdened. We see transients and those who call Durango home. Some are unsheltered. Others may be rooming in motels or sleeping in cars. Our regular visitors say they depend on our picnics just for the time they can spend in chats with us.

People walk, ride bicycles, drive up in vehicles. Some of our volunteers enjoy sitting with some of our guests. Their stories are so interesting. We always hear "Thank You" and "Bless You".

We have no rules and we don't judge. We missed the worst storm day last winter on December 29, 2018. Coffee & Conversations with the Homeless started on December 1st, 2018. As many as 50 and as few as three have come for hot coffee, iced tea, bottles of water, and a variety of wonderful home-cooked meals. Sometimes, our volunteers will purchase One Dollar burritos from Taco Bell. 
Last Saturday the 13th of July, we handed out 30 beef/bean burritos (one per person), donated by our volunteers. We grilled 48 hot dogs/buns, homemade Kielbasa w/Spanish rice and Squash/Italian sausage Reunion Casserole and Chicken & Dumplings served to nearly 30-35 hungry men and women. Two cases of bottled water (32 per case) are always a demand, especially for some of the canine friends that come with their owners. Trash bags are always handed out to people who want to clean out their camps. We promote Clean Camps in the Woods!

Join Us! We can always use extra help and more food! Drop by anytime and bring whatever you have to share with people who may go hungry for days.

Thanks to our volunteers who faithfully share food and hot beverages with our visiting
​food-burdened guests!
Johnie & JW Ragsdale, Deb Nielsen, Stephen and Donna Mae Baukat, Maya Goodson, Linda Morris and
​Gary & Lorrie Graham

Acknowledging Local Contributors

We honor the restaurants, cafes, and coffee companies who have donated generously to C&C Program. If you wish to contribute on a Saturday before 12:30p.m., please contact us here.

Carver Brewing Company
Durango Joe’s
​Zia Taqueria
Smiley Cafe
Durango Christian Church
CJ’s Diner

Thank you from EVERYONE!
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Saturday, May 25th
​Thank you to our generous volunteers who join us at the entrance to Schneider Skate Park with donations whenever you are available! Warm weather seems to bring over 45 people to our picnic. Since December 1st, this program is connecting with people who are unhoused, in shelters, the unemployed, those in affordable housing, seniors, children, and the mentally ill. CCO is filling the gap when people are unable to get to meals served by Manna Soup Kitchen. We plan on sharing our picnics as long as there are people who come.
Last Saturday, we shared our picnic with more than 50 food-burdened people, (it is difficult to count people while we are serving and chatting with people we are sharing our picnic). Here’s a list of donated items:
Grilled 96 hot dogs, Grilled 28 burgers, Buns for meat, Croissants, Rice/spam/vegetable casseroles (2 pans), Home-cooked Mexican, Baked Beans, Home-cooked Pot of Baked Beans, Huge bowl of Green Salad, Chocolate Donut Holes, Chips (Individually packaged), Case of bottled water, Adventure Christian Church brewed coffee.
PRAISING GOD! While Steve and I unloaded the car (earlier than usual), a woman asked Steve, “To whom should I make out a check?”, Steve called me over to respond (she heard of our work and said she wanted me to spend her donation on anything I wanted), as she placed a folded check in my hand (her eyes tearing). Placing the check in my pocket and later I remembered to look at it. May God be glorified in this unexpected response to my prayers for funds to purchase next Saturday’s food & water. On Sunday, I deposited the $100 gift to CCO’s account, marked for C&C food sharing program.
Nonprofit that helps homeless celebrates anniversary
By Bret Hauff City government & crime reporter, Saturday, March 30, 2019 6:01 PM Updated: Saturday, March 30, 2019 6:15 PM
There’s still plenty of work for Community Compassion Outreach to do in the coming years

3/16/2019 - Clear Blue Skies and 20 Served!

My husband Steve and I arrived with hot coffee from Durango Joe’s as 14 people were lining up for Brisket & Buns from CJ’s Diner.

Darren White’s cherry cobbler was fabulous. Matt’s dog Ipswich was hungry and managed to chow down, too. He loved a small part of my brisket sandwich. Durango Herald’s Bret Hauff and Jerry McBride paid a visit on this remarkable day. As days get warmer, we will see a lot more people lining up and expecting beverages and great food. We appreciate our volunteers who make home baked goods. Rene Nash brought some Texas Toast, but it was not enough for everyone.

Clothing, shoes, and other items was donated and were laid out on a tarp for the taking.

We’ll be back to Schneider Park near the entrance every Saturday at 12:30pm - 2:30pm. Join us and bring your best home cooked casserole to share at our Tailgate party with people who are food-burdened. Community is about sharing and meeting new people. They appreciate what we are doing! This is about loving your neighbor in more needful ways.
— Donna Mae Baukat, Executive Director/Cofounder - Community Compassion Outreach, Coffee & Conversations with the Homeless Program
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3/2/2019 - Raining and Serving

Though it was raining, a canopy kept us somewhat dry. We served at least ten (10) individuals who managed to stop by for vegan cabbage stew, rice, tortillas, apple/cherry cobbler, sugar cookies, french toast, cheese & crackers, hot coffee and takeaway snacks. Regular visitors stay longer to chat with us and we learn how they are surviving this hard winter. 
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Jazael, an elementary school student, volunteers with her grandmother Loretta Meushaw, Director of Homeless Outreach Ministry at Durango Christian Church.
CCO Critical Supply Bank Program (led by Debbie Kjonaas) distributes donated basic needs for people experiencing homelessness. A coordinated effort by Durango Christian Church Homeless Outreach Ministry provides the UNHOUSED with blankets, Bivy bags, coats, gloves, hats, hand warmers, small propane bottles, and other items. 

Jazael (left) is bringing another aspect to the Critical Supply Bank. We'll have more on her project soon. . .

Few served February 23, 2019, with great conversations!

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Volunteers mixing with some of the homeless people who know we're serving hot beverages and great food. Today, we bought burritos from Taco Bell. Only a handful of people came by, but such great visits with our neighbors who live in tents somewhere in Durango.
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Loretta Meushaw and her granddaughter, using a tarp, are spreading out donated clothing, hand-warmers and hats for individuals of the homeless community that visit our Tailgate Party. While sharing food, coffee/tea and desserts, we get to learn of the needs of people living in tents and cars and other uninhabitable spaces.

Sometimes, Loretta brings Bivy bags that add great insulation for someone who does not have a tent.
People who sleep in cars and tents should come by Saturdays at 12:30p.m.-2:30p.m. to check out our collections.
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First sunny day after days of snowstorm. Volunteers shoveled snow to allow parking and foot traffic. Thanks to the Ragsdale's snowblower!

15 people served on January 12, 2019 - Fun Day in the Snow!
Sometimes, we just gotta make it happen!
Thanks to our faithful helpers, Darren and Lora White! My husband and business partner, Steve Baukat, does most of the loading and unloading. We had just made pots of coffee donated by Durango Christian Church. 
Other volunteers were either home sick or digging themselves out. 

Eventually, we were greeted by 15 very cold friends of ours who were ready for a hot cup of coffee. Donna Mae took a selfie just to prove to herself that she could take the beautiful snow-ladened day. Schneider Park was too deep in snow for us to chase people down -- except for Darren. He lured folks sitting near the river.

Come'n out and enjoy chats with our guests any Saturday at 12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Flexible!
Early arrivals usually shovel the snow so we can make a path to our shared picnic! 

Sharing food and hot beverages with those less fortunate is fun and personally rewarding!

Coffee & Conversations with people experiencing homelessness in Durango is a new project that began on Saturday, December 1, 2018.

​It began with a marvelous and generous young lady who is a sociology student at Fort Lewis College. 
​
  • Ellis McNichol came to us at the recommendation of her professor and expressed her strong desire to have hot food and beverages available to the homeless this winter. 

​CCO Board of Directors readily accepted the opportunity and we set out to help Ellis by volunteering two hours each Saturday. Each of us have donated food, beverages, hot water for prepackaged Ramen with utensils and paper or reusable plastic plates & cups. We ordered some burritos from Taco Bell and it is a favorite with our guests.

It is hopeful that other restaurants will participate with tax deductible donations of prepared food -- we will be happy to pick up from Bayfield and Durango restaurants.

​Tax deductible receipts will be given in return for your generous contributions. 

We have served approximately 12 to 20 individuals who walk by and join our picnic setup. The best rewards are the conversations we have with people who seldom speak with the public -- partly because they are seen as outcasts.

Community Compassion Outreach sole purpose is to assist individuals and families to survive and to exit homelessness. Besides other projects (donations of warm clothing and camping gear), sharing food and hot beverages is a need during the times when Manna Soup Kitchen is closed. We serve many of the same clients, and we are proud to support Manna with our various projects. 

Tax deductible donations may be made here.

Food, hot coffee in containers and other consumables are accepted by appointment.
To arrange pickup, please telephone us here.
Allow 24 hour notice for all pickups.
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CCO is a 501(c)(3) Colorado Public Charity
Community Compassion Outreach (CCO), Inc., is a 501(c)(3) Colorado Public Charity under the Internal Revenue Code Section 170. CCO's Federal I.D. No. 82-5001338, effective March 29, 2018.