Hello, Hola, Bonjour, and привет, Food Bank of the Rockies Partners!
No matter how you say it, language is the glue that connects us in all of our endeavors. Here at Food Bank of the Rockies, we work with clients and partners who hail from around the globe. In working with such diverse communities, we have discovered how sharing a common language can help us connect, collaborate, and create a community of learning and serving together.
At Food Bank of the Rockies, we truly value the importance of knowing a second or third language, and we are currently in the process of creating a Linguistics Team to assist clients and partners with oral and written translation needs. Currently, we have Oral Proficiency Interview-certified Spanish, Russian, Italian, and French speakers on staff and are continuing to certify even more people! We will share updates as they arise and are excited to strengthen our partnerships with all of you through language.
“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.” – Nelson Mandela
Sincerely,
Kelly Bacher
Government Programs Representative
Grant Opportunities
2022 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)
We are pleased to announce the release of the 2022 CDBG application. The attached application is due May 12, 2022, by 5:00 p.m. MST. Based on staff recommendations, Thornton City Council, and HUD approvals, the funding will be available by the end of the year. Questions regarding this application may be directed to our CDBG Coordinator at 720-977-5800 or CDBG@thorntonco.gov.
2022 Private Activity Bonds – Accepting Letters of Interest
The City of Thornton has received its 2022 Private Activity Bond allocation and is taking letters of interest to assign the $7,855,899 of tax-exempt bond revenues to nonprofit organizations, quasi-governmental agencies, and private businesses for projects to expand housing, job opportunities, and the tax base in Thornton. Examples of specific uses include acquisition, construction, or renovation of affordable housing; and financing mortgage revenue bonds or mortgage credit certificates. The bonds are commonly combined with other funding sources, such as Low Income Housing Tax Credits, Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), and Home Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) funds. The 2022 bonds must be spent by September 2025. Letter of Interest are due by Wednesday, June 1, 2022, and should include the following information:
- Agency name and contact information
- The requested amount and total project budget
- Description of the program or project
- Address of the project, if applicable
- Targeted income levels of the people served
- How many Thornton residents would be served with the requested amount
- How many new jobs would be created (if applicable)
- Other funds that may be leveraged by the project or program
- Market study (if available or applicable)
Letters of interest should be emailed to Ben Nichols at Housing@ThorntonCO.gov. The city will review the applications and Thornton city council will approve the 2022 Private Activity Bonds assignment in August 2022.
Important Dates
- Tuesday, June 7: Virtual partner orientation 10:00 a.m.
- Wednesday, June 8: Link2Feed Training 9:00 a.m.
- Saturday, June 11: Open 9:00 – 11:30 a.m.
- Thursday, June 23: Virtual partner orientation 1:00 p.m.
- Thursday, June 23: Link2Feed Training 12:00 p.m.
- Thursday, June 30: Closed at 12:00 p.m.
Please visit the June Calendar for the full schedule. For our full calendar of important dates, please refer to the 2022 calendar. If you have any questions, please contact our Partner Support Team: partnersupport@foodbankrockies.org
Program Updates
Partner Support
Throughout the pandemic, Google’s search engine saw 10x more search queries for food pantries. This serves as a reminder to make sure your business profile on Google is up to date with correct location and hour information. Please refer to this document for the four-step process to update your profile or email findfoodsupport-help@google.com for further information, demos, office hours, and more.
Link2Feed Reporting
Service Insight Tools, such as Link2Feed, are a perfect tool for understanding the story of your pantry from a data perspective. For example, the Time Series Report in Link2Feed allows you to see visitation rates over a period of time. This has helped pantries not only detect periods of influx but also when to anticipate drops in visitation so they can help reduce food waste.
The above chart shows individuals (blue) and households (orange) served at Food Bank of the Rockies’ Mobile Pantries from May 1, 2021, until May 1, 2022. The dip in attendance in February is partly attributed to a number of weather cancellations, while the increase in November likely corresponds with increased need over the holidays. The numbers also reveal that we are operating at a slightly higher rate than we were last year at this time.
Learn more about how Link2Feed can benefit your organization here.
Partner Highlights
Food Bank of the Rockies & Regis University Partner for Mobile Food Pantry
Regis University, established in 1877, is the only Jesuit Catholic institution in the state of Colorado. One of the core Jesuit values is “Cura Personalis,” which translates from Latin to “care for the person” and includes promoting human dignity and care for the mind, body, and spirit. A lot has changed since Regis was founded, but taking care of people and the community remains constant. The university is proud to partner with Food Bank of the Rockies as a mobile pantry distribution site to provide food and other necessities to people in need.
“We’re happy that we can serve and support residents in and around the metro Denver area experiencing food insecurity,” said Jenna Farley, Regis’s community relations director. “We know it’s a serious issue for many of our neighbors, and we hope that our partnership efforts with Food Bank of the Rockies will help alleviate what continues to be a challenge here and around the country.”
The Regis mobile pantry site launched in April and operates the first Tuesday of each month from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. (or until food runs out) in Parking Lot 6 on campus, at the corner of 50th Avenue and Federal Boulevard. Everyone is welcome to receive packaged food items, fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy, and meat products. The university’s students, faculty, and staff will volunteer each month to build, pack, and distribute food boxes to anyone who stops by.
Food for Kids Update
Apply for the Summer Food Service Program
Food Bank of the Rockies is excited to announce the release of our Summer Food Service Program application to provide much-needed nutrition to kids while school is out of session. If your organization provides activities to kids 18 years and younger during the summer, consider offering this program and complete the application today! Reach out to FFK@foodbankrockies.org with any questions on eligibility and participation.
Nutrition Nuggets
This spring, Cooking Matters is offering free, online classes every Thursday at 2:00 p.m. The lessons are educational, fun, and rooted in topics suggested by parents and caregivers of young children. Participants will receive a $10 grocery store gift card for each lesson they attend. If you think your community would be interested in these classes, please share this flyer. If you’d like additional ways to share the information about public classes, or if you are interested in setting up a program or demo specifically for your own community, get in touch with Elizabeth Alden at ealden@strength.org for details and next steps.
New Staffing Announcements
Estrella Chaves is our new Partner Support Representative at the order window at the 45th Avenue Distribution Center in Denver. Estrella is a mother to three young boys and loves taking them on outdoor adventures along with their German Shepherd-Husky mix, Arctic. In her spare time, Estrella enjoys volunteering at nursing homes and writing poetry. Welcome, Estrella!
Venessa Clower is our new Food For Kids Representative at the 45th Avenue Distribution Center in Denver. She is originally from East Tennessee and has lived in Colorado for 10 years. Her background is in sales and account management and she is excited to bring her skills to Food Bank of the Rockies. In her free time, she enjoys reading, listening to music, and camping. Welcome, Venessa!
Client Resources
Kids in Need of Dentistry (KIND)
Does your child have a dentist they see regularly? Are they experiencing mouth pain or do they have a chipped or broken tooth? Kids in Need of Dentistry (KIND) can help! We are a dental clinic that can provide your children with care regardless of ability to pay.
KIND sees children ages 18 and under at three different clinic locations (Denver East Park Hill, Denver Downtown, and Commerce City). We accept Health First Colorado (Colorado Medicaid), CHP+, and uninsured patients. If your child is in a Denver Public School, assistance funding may also be available for their dental care!
KIND dentists speak Spanish and English, love taking care of children, and are ready to see you. You might also see one of our hygienists from our Chopper Topper program at your school putting sealants on teeth to help protect them from cavities. If you are seeking dental care for your child, please call 720-619-5333 or visit kindsmiles.org. For non-clinical inquiries, please connect with us here: https://form.jotform.com/220805095820149
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
Programs Department | Contact Information
