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COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- A growing number of El Paso County residents are using food stamps and reaching out to the Springs Rescue Mission for help.

So with the holidays right around the corner feeding those in need relies on your donations.

Feeding a growing number of Colorado Springs families in need over the holiday season revolves around that coveted fall favorite, the turkey.

The Springs Rescue Mission cooked almost 3,000 birds last year in their annual Thanksgiving feast and already know they'll need more food this year.

The average number families helped in a month has gone from 460 to 700 since 2011.

"Sometimes that help is only for a month, 6 weeks, between jobs for the heads of the household. Sometimes the help is extending to 6,8,10 months and that's a different dynamic for us this year," Steve Wamberg, of the Springs Rescue Mission said.

According to the El Paso County Department of Human Services more than 10 percent of the county that's more than 69,000 people are using food stamps, a number that's doubled over the last four years.

"Of course we hope it's not a number that continues to go up. We hope that it will stop going up at some point but every month since 2008 we have seen at least some increase as it's ticked higher and higher," Jennifer Brown, of the El Paso County Department of Human Services said.

Last year the county gave more than 6,000 people food, toys, books, and toiletries with their one-day event

called Feed the Children.

This year they're trying to provide the same for some of the neediest people in our community, a need that continues to grow.

As of noon Thursday the Springs Rescue Mission had collected 466 turkeys, they'll be taking donations until November 21st.

If you'd like to help the county with their Feed the Children event head to www.dhs.elpaso.com.