Year-in-Review

Christina Bowen

Current Board Chair

Erin Pulling

President & CEO

There’s no way to overstate how exceptional this past year was for Food Bank of the Rockies and our Hunger Relief Partners. Near-record inflation levels and the end of COVID-era federal support measures triggered a 13% increase in the number of people we served. What that looked like in practice involved distributing 93 million pounds of food — the equivalent of more than 77.5 million meals; that’s an average of 212,400 meals daily.

How were we able to accomplish this? Thanks to gifts from supporters like you and the hard, dedicated work of our volunteers and staff. In addition, a generous, one-time allocation of federal American Rescue Plan Act funds tremendously bolstered our ability to distribute food.

With that funding now complete, there is a gap between the need across our communities and our ability to continue distributing the same amount of food as last year. Food insecurity rates in our service area are higher than they have been in 10 years. Currently, one in nine people are food insecure in our service area, including one in seven kids.

Knowing that good food is essential for a good life, we are doing everything in our power to meet the need and continue the hallmarks of our mission: distributing fresh, culturally responsive food, serving as many people as possible, and responding to community needs.

As we head into this new fiscal year, I am certain that we will continue to answer the challenge of hunger together knowing that the work we do is essential for our communities to thrive. Thank you for your support, especially during this challenging time.

Christina Bowen
Current Board Chair

Erin Pulling
President & CEO

Neighbors Served in Fiscal Year 2024:

417,317

20% of people served were children

Bringing Food from Local Farms to Local Families

To ensure our communities get the nourishment they need, Food Bank of the Rockies partners with 800+ hunger-relief organizations and sources as much food from local producers as possible.

One of those producers is Austin Family Farm in Paonia, Colorado, a four-generation, family-owned-and-operated farm.

“I was born to farm,” shared Glenn Austin, co-founder and patriarch of the farm. “It’s an addiction. It’s in my blood.”

Added co-founder and matriarch Tony Austin, “When we grow our food, we have other people in mind. We have been so incredibly blessed; I’ve never had to go hungry in my life, but I know other people do. To be able to help feed those people is very rewarding.”

Pounds of Food Distributed & Equivalent Meals

Pounds of Food Distributed
& Equivalent Meals

TOTAL POUNDS OF FOOD DISTRIBUTED

93059974

TOTAL MEALS DISTRIBUTED

77549978

MEALS DISTRIBUTED ON AVERAGE PER DAY

212466

Instilling Volunteerism
Early in Life

Teaching her kids the importance of giving back fuels Neelima Joshi’s dedication to volunteering with, donating to, and serving as a Food Bank of the Rockies board member. Neelima and her kids, Sohan and Indi, started volunteering with the Food Bank as soon as COVID restrictions were lifted.

“Food is something people understand. It’s easy for a child to grasp that [the apples] are going to go to a school or a pantry for other people to have. It’s an immediate impact. Food is important. Access to food for all is very important and everyone needs it,” Neelima shared.

Financials

Our fiscal year 2024 audited financial reports will be available online in early 2025. To access financial reports from recent years and our upcoming FY24 report, please visit: foodbankrockies.org/about/financials

Food is Medicine with the Food for Health Program

Sherri is a participant of the Food for Health Program, which is designed to connect people experiencing food insecurity and chronic illnesses with consistent access to food tailored to their medical situations. Like many program clients, Sherri has diabetes and high blood pressure. Through Food for Health, she was able to incorporate nutrient-dense meals and snacks into her diet and improve her health.

“On the days when I couldn’t get out and I’d have food delivered, I’d have something that I needed,” Sherri shared. “If the program wasn’t available and [the Food Bank] couldn’t deliver, I would be at a loss.”

Leadership

Food Bank of the Rockies relies on the experience and dedication of so many people. To meet our board of directors and leadership team, please visit foodbankrockies.org/about/leadership

Looking Ahead

When it comes to food insecurity rates in our service area, the message is clear: people are hurting.

Food insecurity exists in every county in our nation, from the poorest neighborhoods to the most affluent. Being forced to choose between having enough to eat and paying for life’s other necessities is an unfortunate reality for many of our neighbors — and it’s becoming more common for more people every day.

We are doing everything we can to address this current crisis, but we can’t do that without you. Your support enables us to continue to show up every day for our neighbors, especially during these challenging times. Thank you.