TABLE TALK www.cotable.org
From our CEO Dear Friends, Many of us hoped that 2021 would be the beginning of the end of COVID-related difficulties. But 2021, just like 2020, ended up being unlike other years. While the pandemic continued to turn life upside down for all of us, it also renewed our deep commitment to our purpose: ensuring that all people have the food they need, even during difficult times. We are humbled by how the community came together and rallied behind our mission to feed, help and provide hope for those in need. Your efforts helped us support so many throughout the pandemic: working parents who lost jobs, children who could no longer receive free meals at school, seniors afraid to leave their homes, families struggling to keep the lights and heat on and a roof overhead. Throughout the ongoing health crisis, I’m proud to say that our resilient staff and dedicated corp of volunteers continued to find innovative solutions for some of the most daunting pandemic challenges and obstacles. This flexibility and innovation were critical over the past two years when we had to retool operations repeatedly to meet the unprecedented and growing need. As we pivoted operations to better serve those in need, we never lost sight of our mission. Here are a few accomplishments that I am incredibly proud of: l This past year, we distributed 1.2 million pounds of food—the equivalent of 1,020,000 million meals. l We expanded our Feeding the Future program to year-round operation and supplied multiple summer Jeffco Early Learning locations with kid-friendly snacks, weekend food sacks and commodity boxes for families.
Winter/Spring 2022
l With overwhelming community support, we purchased a replacement box truck that will help rescue food from grocery stores and transport meals to underserved communities for years to come. l Realizing that many of the families we help need more flexibility in accessing food, we are now open on select Saturdays during the month. In 2021, this new weekend drive-thru provided 79,000 pounds of food to 800 families.
As we continue to learn from and evaluate the impacts of the pandemic, we are working hard to build a better and brighter future for our food-insecure neighbors. In fact, we’re getting ready to launch several new initiatives—a more interactive and informative website, a text messaging system to better communicate with families in need and a new shower and laundry truck for people experiencing homelessness. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your commitment to building a hunger-free community and trusting us to get the job done. Your partnership is essential, and we are truly honored to receive your support. Friends like you bring hope to Colorado families in need. With gratitude,
Sandy Martin Chief Executive Officer