Food Bank of the Rockies distributed more food to more people in the past two months than in any two-month period in our history. We’re finding ways to navigate the ever-changing landscape of this pandemic.
Here’s a summary of our efforts over the past nine weeks:
- We temporarily changed our distribution system, creating a strategic emergency support team of food pantries capable of distributing large quantities of food, safely to more people.
- We have navigated decreases in food donations and countless supply chain challenges – tapping into new food supplies and needing to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars per month on purchased food. All told, food distribution is up by more than 40% and growing daily. And we’re expanding operations to include a night shift and an additional, temporary (pro bono!) distribution center to accommodate.
- Our mobile pantries and food pantry partners changed to drive-through, boxed food distribution models where clients could stay in their cars, and staff and volunteers could to ensure social distancing.
- We are delivering food to hundreds of low-income older adults who can no longer venture out safely.
- We are hosting mobile pantries Monday – Saturday across Colorado and Wyoming, including the largest food distribution to-date in Colorado, in partnership with the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. Mobile pantries are seeing two to six times the previous number of clients needing help.
- Our dedicated staff, volunteers, and food pantry partners are making it possible to achieve all kinds of ‘firsts’ and ‘mosts.’ On our record-breaking day last week, we distributed enough food for more than 350,000 meals on one single day!
This video highlights the impact our community support has had over the past nine weeks.
Nearly half of all working Americans have suffered a job or wage loss; COVID-19 has hit our community hard. From the Denver metro area to hard-hit mountain communities to rural Wyoming, people who have never needed help are reaching out for food assistance.
We expect an increased need to continue further than we dare to predict. With your on-going support, Food Bank of the Rockies will be here for as long as it takes – masked, gloved, and experiencing more and more organizational records as we distribute food to hundreds of thousands of people in desperate need.
Thank you for making it possible.
