For many kids, summer is vacation at its finest. Free time, swimming, sleeping in, hanging out with friends etc. But for many Colorado kids, summer is a time when they’re not quite sure where their next meal will come from. The free lunches they receive at school aren’t available, Mom and Dad still have to go to work and they’re often left to fend for themselves. In fact, out of every 100 kids that ate a free lunch last year, only 8 were receiving summer food. The USDA has previously maintained regulations that a non-profit can only sponsor 25 summer food sites, so FBR was capped on the dent we could make for these kids. Through the hard work of our friends at Hunger Free Colorado, we recently received a waiver from the state of Colorado, enabling us to grow this program up to 50 sites! And that we did.
In 2009, FBR sponsored 21 USDA approved sites with an average of 978 meals served per day. This summer, we’re sponsoring 48 USDA approved sites with 2,773 meals requested per day.
We couldn’t afford to do so without the support of partners like Sodexo. This generous company has partnered with FBR for 3 consecutive years in funding a host of these sites. They currently sponsor 11 sites and have provided 38,385 meals in their 3 year partnership with us!
In celebration of the growth of the program and their partnership with FBR, Sodexo organized and sponsored the 1st Annual “Feeding Our Future BBQ” for more than 250 low income Colorado kids this past Friday. The festivities took place at St. Anthony Central Hospital and included music, face painting, clowns, food, autographs from former Nuggets, Ervin Johnson and Walter Davis, free bike helmets and fittings, ambulance tours and on and on and on. The kids arrived hungry and went home full of good food and tons o fun.
MANY THANKS to Sodexo, St. Anthony Central and all our valuable volunteers for donating your time and your talents. The faces of these kids definitely prove the day a success. Without all of you, that wouldn’t have been possible!
The Sodexo gang set up the food stations and served our guests in style.
Mix 100’s Jeremy from the Dom and Jane show (right) offered up his serving talents, along with Channel 2 News and Fox 31’s Natalie Tysdal (far left).
Former Nuggets, Ervin Johnson (left) and Walter Davis (right) signed autographs for adoring young fans.
FBR Board Member David Patterson, his wife and fellow US Foods co-workers volunteer to serve the kiddos.
Fellow FBR Board members Mike Hall and Seth Patterson also join the serving ranks.
3 volunteers from Senator Udall’s office graciously donate their time!
City Council Representative, Paula Sandoval, speaks to the crowd about the importance of fighting childhood hunger.
2 staffers from Senator Bennet’s office also volunteer their time to help serve the kids.
FBR’s Janie, Kevin and Kim (left to right)
Laurie, a loyal FBR volunteer “decorated” kids faces for 3.5 hours straight.
