of CONTENTS
03 Gunnison Country Food Pantry
10 Care and Share Food Bank
15 Community Food Share
21 We Don’t Waste
GUNNISON COUNTRY FOOD PANTRY
What services do you provide to the community?
We’re a food pantry through and through. Our main program is our no-cost grocery distribution for community members. If I took you on a tour, you would see a 1,000 square foot shopping center. Our guests fill out a brief application online or in person, and we check them in They grab a grocery cart and shop like at any other grocery store.
The shop is open Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. On Wednesdays, we are open in the evening We strive to offer Spanish translation at every distribution, and on Wednesdays from 4 p m to 7 p m , we guarantee translators for both Spanish and Cora, the local indigenous language Home deliveries are offered to individuals who are experiencing barriers and cannot shop the pantry. For example, new mothers, particularly single moms, who are struggling with a lack of transportation often receive deliveries Whatever the case, we w
rk with folks to provide a bundle of food they will like and use every week.
Whatever the case, we work with folks to provide a bundle of food they will like and use every week.
Through our robust Food for Children program, we deliver Gunni-Packs on Fridays. Each pack is filled with food to support a child from Friday night through Sunday night when they’re unable to access the reliability of school meals. We currently deliver 68 Gunni-Packs weekly, which will likely grow
closer to 80 in the next few weeks
We also deliver over 4,000 healthy snacks monthly to every Gunnison Watershed School District school. Our food pantry realized that teachers were taking money from their personal budgets to supplement snacks for their classrooms, so we started working with the schools to deliver healthy snacks to the classrooms This program isn’t based on need, and any child can grab snacks For middle schoolers, we also have a mini pantry that serves emergency food.
No application, form of identity, or proof of address is needed for any of our services, but the fresh mobile pantry ensures you don’t even need to sign a single sheet of paper.
On Saturday mornings in May through November, we have a fresh mobile pantry that goes out into neighborhoods in need No application, form of identity, or proof of address is needed for any of our services, but the fresh mobile pantry ensures you don’t even need to sign a single sheet of paper. The goal of this low-barrier service is to bring as much fresh produce into communities in need as possible. We recover most of the food distributed We pick up food from the grocery store all week If you look at a place like Denver, for example, there’s one food pantry that just does distributions, another that helps with childhood hunger, and another that helps the elderly. We don’t have that wealth of resources here, so we fill all those gaps.
How has Gunnison Country Food Pantry used the donations from the City Market
Fight Hunger bag program to further its mission?
Most of the money that comes in ends up in our programming budget. Over the past two years, we’ve seen immense growth, including a 5% increase in guests Our food budget has continued to grow, and programming costs have expanded The most valuable thing for an organization like us is to have ongoing support to prove that a place like our local City Market bought into us.
The most valuable thing for an
organization like us is to have ongoing
support to prove that a place like our
local City Market bought into us.
When we have these consistent dollars coming in over a period of time, it helps maintain and grow our operations. We can also use support like this to tell other funders to look at the community support we have from City Market Many other funders like to see that and may be more likely to fund organizations that have this type of consistent support.
The program helps us on all levels. It helps us feed our neighbors. It helps us maintain the growth we need The reoccurring gift means a lot to us
Tell us a story about a program, service, or initiative that the City Market Fight Hunger
bag program has supported.
Holly, one of our guests, was a student at Western Colorado University studying computer science.
She is painfully smart and witty. As she honed in on her studies, Holly began struggling with her mental health and started to experience food insecurity. It can be hard to believe someone like Holly, an educated and resourceful young woman, could have experienced food insecurity
Gunnison Country Food Pantry has a partnership with Western Colorado University through the Mountaineer Marketplace, a sister pantry of GCFP. It serves Western students, faculty, and staff in need of food assistance, and we help them with fundraising and agency relationships.
The pantry reduces stigma by making the food pantry a one-stop shop. If you need condoms, they will tell you to go to the marketplace. If you need Narcan, they will tell you to go to the marketplace. If you need mental health resources or information about services, you go to the marketplace.
Holly found herself at the marketplace, looking for additional resources, and fell in love with the stigma-free community. She started receiving food, and it changed her outcome in school. She was able to manage her mental health and not have to worry about if she would be able to eat that night.
Holly’s story exemplifies that there is a rite of passage narrative that suffering and scraping by with ramen noodles is just something you should expect to do in college and how detrimental that can be. Holly’s story came full circle in a beautiful way. Today, she runs the marketplace as the assistant director of the Department of Student Health and Community Wellness at Western Colorado
University
Have you noticed any changes in community awareness or support since becoming involved in the City Market Fight Hunger bag program?
Personally, I’ve noticed a few things. A few weeks ago, I was shopping at City Market and heard an employee over the speakers, talking about the City Market Fight Hunger bag program and how local proceeds go to the Gunnison Country Food Pantry. It was very exciting. I thought to myself, “Holy cow! That’s amazing marketing for us. ”
Whenever I see folks at the grocery store, they like to show me that they have their bag with them or that they are buying one It’s great to have a reminder of our presence that encourages people to donate money or food City Market also gets a ton of foot traffic, which we’re grateful for
CARE AND SHARE
FOOD BANK
24 selections
$9,605 in donations
Since December 2023, Care and Share Food Bank has been selected to benefit from the King
Soopers and City Market Fight Hunger bag program 24 times at 21 different locations. In total, the organization has received $9,605 in donations to continue distributing fresh and nutritious food to 289 hunger relief partners throughout Southern Colorado
Tell us about Care and Share Food Bank.
Care and Share Food Bank is the food bank for S
serv
Our goal is to get food out to our partner agencies so that the
hungry.
What services do you provide to the community?
Care and Share is a food bank, so we collect as much food and donat
food by the semi-truck load and turn any monetary donations into food by purchasing from our partner agencies. One dollar can purchase approximately four meals, which equals about five pounds of food. So, we really stretch each doll
S
n Colorado Volunteers take all that food, sort it, and distribute it to our partner agencies
How has Care and Share Food Bank used the donations it has received from the King
Soopers and City Market Fight Hunger bag program?
Partnerships with King Soopers, City Market, and other for-profit corporations are important for our mission We can turn any monetary donations into a lot of food Through partnerships with King
Soopers, City Market, Kroger, and Feeding America, we are able to purchase food by the semi-truck load.
We get all this food at a wholesale price instead of a retail price, so one dollar can purchase four meals. Stretching each dollar helps us feed so many neighbors. During the last fiscal year, we distributed about 25 million pounds of food, which is equivalent to 21 million meals. We also served about 294,000 people in our area.
During the last fiscal year, we distributed about 25 million pounds of food, which is equivalent to 21 million meals.
Each partnership and campaign is important They all add up over time Everybody does their part, and it all comes together at the end of the year
Tell us a story about a program, service, or initiative that the King Soopers and City
Market Fight Hunger bag program has supported.
Yesterday, we were at a food pantry at a church in Manitou Springs, Colorado. The pantry serves a lot of neighbors in the area who are struggling to make ends meet The people coming to the pantry are working They are teachers, nurses, and even service members who can’t quite make ends meet with the rise of inflation. Unfortunately, many people forego their food budget to accommodate their fixed costs. We have heard from neighbors and volunteers that
w
give to pan
is really a
s
ver The food gets people to their next paycheck, getting them through the lull they might otherwise face
We have seen a couple of really cold weeks this winter with all of the snow. When people turn up the furnace and their gas or electric bills go up, they know they can go to a food pantry and supplement their food budget by getting the nutritious food they need
At Care and Share Food Bank, we really put an emphasis on nutritious food because we don’t want to cause more health problems by giving out sugary foods. We give out items like watermelon, carrots, and other fresh produce to ensure people get the nutritious food they need.
We have heard from neighbors and
volunteers that the food we give to
pantries is really a lifesaver.
Tell us about Community Food Share.
We are a Feeding America food bank that services Boulder and Broomfield counties. Our mission is to provide individuals and families in need with access to nutritious food while promoting long-term solutions to hunger in our community Community Food Share was founded in 1981, so we are an established resource in our community. We may be a small food bank, but we’re mighty.
We may be a small food bank, but
we’re mighty.
What services do you provide to the community?
We serve our community through our Hunger Relief Network, which includes our internal programs and 42 partner agencies across both counties.
Our partner agencies receive food from us on a schedule that works for them, and they then take the food and distribute it directly to the neighbors they serve For our partners, we serve as a central hub for food distribution, and they serve as the direct outlets to neighbors in need.
We have an onsite pantry, which is one of my favorite services. We believe in the power of choice. People get to shop for themselves and choose what items they will take It is really important that individuals get the power to decide for themselves what they are going to eat, especially if someone has dietary restrictions.
When you’re going through a hard time, having to go to a food pantry can be challenging If you’ve never been here before, it can feel overwhelming Coming to a place that looks like a grocery store helps to bring back a sense of humanity. Food is a human need for all of us.
In addition to the onsite pantry, we have mobile food pantries. Our mobile pantry brings food out into the communities we serve, making it more accessible for our neighbors to receive the nourishment they need. With a bi-weekly schedule of rotating locations, this program ensures we extend our reach to serve as many neighbors as possible.
Our Blue Spruce Program is a program for adults who are 60 years old and older This program provides groceries to older adults twice a month Food choices include fresh produce, milk, meat and frozen items, deli products, eggs, bread, shelf-stable pantry items, and other nutritious options.
Community Food Share also has a program to help with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program (SNAP) application process We either take applications over the phone or help folks when
they come to us and need assistance.
For our partners, we serve as a
central hub for food distribution,
and they serve as the direct outlets
to neighbors in need.
How has Community Food Share used the donations from the King Soopers
Fight Hunger bag program to further its mission?
We have used the funds we’ve received to procure and distribute fresh produce, high-quality proteins, lean meats, and dairy products We’ve been able to use the funds by distributing them to different areas as needed When we receive a donation check, we allocate the funds to whichever category may be lacking.
Tell us a story about a program, service, or initiative that the donations from the
King Soopers Fight Hunger bag program have supported.
The stories come every single week At the onsite pantry, we see families, college students, and individuals of all ages and walks of life. Each comes through the pantry to bring home some fresh produce, protein, and other items.
Here is a quick quote from a neighbor who shops at our onsite pantry:
“Everyone was kind and helpful. I didn’t feel looked down upon for needing help, and to be able to get fresh fruit and produce along with items like bread, milk, and potatoes is such a huge blessing. My family was able to have a wonderful and balanced meal tonight for the first time in a while So grateful
to have found this place Thank you!”
Some of the people who come to Community Food Share are initially worried about the stigmas that
come with needing food assistance But we truly believe in the power of food; it always unites people
With food, there is not a language barrier You can invite people over and share food with anyone Food is healing as well. When you’re sick, you have to have food.
A
t the onsite pantry, we see families, college students, and individuals of all ages and walks of life.
With these funds, we can have fresh produce, dairy, and protein and continuously distribute food to people who need it, sparking beautiful moments every day
Have you noticed any changes in community awareness or support since becoming involved in the King Soopers Fight Hunger bag program?
We are able to have more of a presence since people see our name out there. They are able to correlate things a little bit more and recognize our organization as a partner of King Soopers. Having a connection between Community Food Share and King Soopers speaks volumes to people who may not know much about us In turn, when people love Community Food Share, they are more likely to shop at King Soopers since it is a partner of ours in fighting hunger. This partnership has been mutually beneficial in many ways!
What advice would you give other hunger relief organizations participating in the King Soopers Fight Hunger bag program?
The biggest thing I would recommend is to build strong relationships with store managers. When you have that connection, the store managers better understand why you’re there and what your purpose is They will then be able to help their staff understand who you are and what you do It helps you to further your mission even more!
Tell us about We Don’t Waste.
At We Don’t Waste, we believe food should go to people, not landfills. We also believe food should be accessible to all. We work to reduce hunger in the Denver area by recovering unused food from the food industry and redistributing it to food insecure families. Our organization focuses on three main areas: food access, education, and advocacy
Our founder, Arlan Preblud, started the organiz
t
out of his Volvo station wagon in 2009. He saw the need for food in the community and
king to
own five refrigerated trucks and a van. We also have a 30,
our organization was founded in 2009, We Don’t Waste has recovered and redistributed more than 50 million pounds of food
Since our organization was founded in 2009, We Don’t Waste has recovered and redistributed more
than 50 million pounds of food. What services do you provide to the community?
The mission of We Don’t Waste is to increase food access and protect the planet by rescuing and repurposing food while also educating and advocating to increase food security and decrease food waste
One way we redistribute food to the community is through our partner nonprofits. We work with approximately 100 different organizations, including food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, schools, and more. Through our mobile markets, we work directly to help meet the needs of food desert communities We bring food into these communities and set up no-cost farmers’ markets to reach individuals and families in need. We also provide education on hunger and food insecurity, food waste, and its environmental impact, as well as advocacy work to promote legislation to help food insecure families and prevent food waste
We work with approximately 100 different organizations, including food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, schools, and more.
How has We Don’t Waste us
S
pers Fight Hunger bag program to further its mission?
We have an
industry and r
str
ute it into the community.
This partnership is just the gift that keeps on giving. More specifically, we’ve used this money to expand the number of nonprofits we work with. For a long time, we had a waitlist of between 30 and 50 nonprofits that wanted to start receiving food from us, but we didn’t have the capacity to help all of the waitlist and our existing partners This funding allowed us to add new nonprofits that serve different demographic groups and parts of the city By increasing our capacity, we help increase theirs.
Ultimately, these donations enable us to help more people. It’s hard saying no to organizations that need food for their clients, so it’s been great to chip away at that waitlist and work with more nonprofits The more partners we have, the better! We are all in this together, working to address the needs of our community as best we can.
a
Soopers Fight Hunger b
In 2019, we knew t
adjoining
we started serving with our mobile markets, we ha
At the beginning of this year, we were
t works and brought our mobile markets back to that neighborhood The new location even has an indoor space, ensuring our participants are not waiting outside in the cold or heat When the weather is nice, we get to be outside, but we will always have the indoor space as an option.
Over the last few months, we have reintegrated into the local community and continued providing
vital food access to individuals and families
Have you noticed any changes in community awareness or support since becoming involved in the King Soopers Fight Hunger bag program?
The Fight Hunger bag program has been another tool we can utilize to help people learn about what we do and how they can support us The program makes it easy for people to donate to us through an activity that is already part of their weekly routine
The entire program is also sustainable, which is core to both our mission and King Soopers’ mission
Through this program, people support us, King Soopers, and the environment It is a great way to
shop sustainably while supporting food access work.
What advice would you give other hunger relief organizations participating in the King
Soopers Fight Hunger bag program?
There are nonprofits of varying sizes that have different audience numbers. My advice is to utilize all
the channels that you have to promote the Fight Hunger bag program because you never know what
the best way to reach people will be. Use your social, your email, your website, and word of mouth to
spread the word.
Awareness is integral to this program, so get it out in front of people as much as you possibly can!
They are already shopping at King Soopers and need a way to bring their groceries home, so let them know that buying a reusable bag is a way to support your work! The best advice is simply to get the news out there as much as possible in as many ways as possible