The once-quarterly food distributions began happening monthly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, each one serves 400-450 households.
A line of cars stretching for blocks grows as staff and volunteers prepare for the monthly Food Bank of the Rockies mobile pantry at Clifton Christian Church. Some folks arrived hours early to ensure they get the nutritious food they count on from the pantry.
“People start lining up at 3:00 a.m.,” said Jackie Feaster, Executive Director of the Clifton Christian Church Food Bank, emphasizing the depth of need in the community. She added that most people who attend the mobile pantry have jobs and homes but can’t afford enough food to be nourished.
While the church has operated a walk-in, weekday food pantry for 30 years, Food Bank of the Rockies’ Mobile Pantry Program began augmenting those supplies a few years ago with quarterly food distribution events at the church. A Food Bank semitrailer parks on the premises, full of nutritious foods — eggs, pasta, rice, chili, apples, milk, meat, shrimp, cheese — to be sorted, boxed, and placed in clients’ vehicles. Disposable diapers are also handed out to anyone who needs them.
These once-quarterly food distribution events began happening monthly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, each one serves 400-450 households.
Ireta, 92, who drove herself to the June mobile pantry event, said she has been coming to the mobile food pantry at the church for years.
“I live on Social Security – it’s not much,” she said.
Evan and his daughter, Shanta — who lives next door to her father and is married with two children — were attending their third mobile pantry event at the church. The bag of dog food Evan collects alongside food for himself will feed his two small dogs for a couple of months, he shared.
“I get $23 a month in food stamps — the mobile pantry is a big help for me,” Evan said. “It sure stretches the $23. When I was working, I never thought about how much I spent on food. Then I retired, and I often have to tell myself, ‘I can’t have that.’ Everything is so expensive. What I buy complements what they give us. I can at least survive for the month.”
Jose borrowed a car to attend the most recent mobile pantry food distribution.
“It really helps us out, being able to concentrate on paying bills instead of spending all the money on food,” he said. “My wife is unable to work now, and I’m disabled.”
A 28-year-old woman who asked not to be named works with youth experiencing homelessness and tells her clients about the mobile pantry program. She also attends herself to help supplement her own needs.
“Some of us are struggling, too,” she shared. “For me, I need dog food.”
Tonya Cook was one of several volunteers doing intake for the Colorado Pet Pantry, which distributes pet food via the Food Bank of the Rockies mobile pantry. “It’s one stop for two items: people food and pet food,” Cook said, explaining that people are allowed to collect pet food once every three months. (They can get food for themselves every month.) While distribution of both human and pet food doesn’t officially start until 9:00 a.m., Cook arrives several hours early because there’s always a long line of cars already waiting.
“We do run out, unfortunately,” Cook said. “Pet food donations are down since COVID, so we had to scale back.”
Twenty-five to 35 volunteers, most of them regulars, come to help with each month’s distribution. Motorists move slowly through the line, stopping alongside pallets stacked with food as volunteers load the filled boxes into their vehicles.
Palisade residents Hannah and Buddy Webster and their 9-year-old daughter, AnnaBella, were volunteering on Saturday for their second time.
“We see a great need in the valley and we’re able to donate time,” Hannah said. “It’s important for our daughter to be part of the community in a service capacity.”
Clifton resident Debra came to collect two boxes of food for herself and her neighbors who can’t get to the distribution. All in all, the boxes help support 10 people. “It supplements my food stamps greatly,” she said.
In line after Debra was Chris, a 67-year-old who came to pick up both human and pet food.
“I don’t know how we would get by without this food; I really don’t,” Chris shared.
Another attendee, Janie, said the food assistance is a great help for her family. “My husband’s medicine went from $100 to $700 a month,” she explained. “Without this we wouldn’t be able to eat some days. It sure helps out.”
To help support the Mobile Pantry Program and all of the Food Bank’s other programming, click here. Every $1 helps provide enough food for three meals to community members across Colorado. Thank you!
