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COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. --

The Springs Rescue Mission is making every donation stretch and turning one bag of food into three.

But you can't help those in need when your stock rooms are empty.

The donations are so low the containers that are usually overflowing with canned foods are down to the bare bones, exposing the bottom of the bin.

"Families are having to decide do we put gas in our car or buy food, do we pay utility bills or buy clothes?," David Wilson, Marketing Mgr. of the Springs Rescue Mission said.

Since 2009 there has been a 34 percent increase in poverty in the Pikes Peak Region.

Plus, 80 percent of the services requested at the SRM are coming from families in search of food and clothing.

Donations stagger off in the spring and summer and filling up the empty racks of clothes is priority number one.

So, the rescue mission is asking you to skip the garage sale and give your clothes a new life, by helping someone in need.

"We can't have the roller coaster of things coming in, we need that to level off because the only way to combat the kind of poverty individuals are seeing is with consistency," Wilson, said.

If you'd like to help, you can take your donations to the Springs Rescue Mission located at 1 W. Las Vegas St. Monday-Friday 9:30-4 p.m. and Saturday 9:00-11:30 a.m.