We established the Hunger’s Hope Award to annually recognize one individual, one organization, and one business for their extraordinary level of commitment to securing and/or providing resources in support of Care and Share’s mission. Our award ceremony was held at our Colorado Springs warehouse yesterday to honor the following winners:
Individual Award Winner: Robert Shelton
Robert Shelton has been investing in the mission of Care and Share Food Bank since 1995. Beginning in 2003, Mr. Shelton also began supporting the work of Care and Share through support from his business, A Village Pharmacy.
Mr. Shelton was one of our founding Harvest Society members, and he has been a sustaining donor, contributing to our mission faithfully each month/quarter for 19 years. Mr. Shelton’s efforts alone have ensured that Care and Share could acquire more than ½ million pounds of food, providing more than 416,000 meals to our neighbors in need throughout Southern Colorado.
Business Award Winner: KKTV 11 News
During the past several years, Care and Share has partnered with KKTV to raise food, dollars and awareness of hunger in Southern Colorado. Dating back to 2009 with the Campaign to End Summer Hunger and in 2013 with the High Hunger Danger Food Drive, KKTV offered valuable opportunities for their viewers to become engaged in our work. Most recently in 2014, KKTV took media reigns of our largest food drive, Harvest of Love. More than 100 schools participate in this food drive each November and raise the equivalent of nearly 1.5 million pounds of food. KKTV entertained new activities to increase our collection efforts; they supported existing strategies and did so with great passion, excitement and dedication. They leveraged their resources across all platforms- web, TV, digital- leaving no reader, viewer or consumer untouched because it was clear they understand the impact and importance of raising food and money for families and individuals at risk of hunger.
Organization Award Winner: the David and Lucile Packard Foundation
Care and Share has been partnering with the David and Lucile Packard Foundation for 15 years. During this time, the Foundation has contributed nearly $500,000 to help Care and Share achieve our mission. The Packard Foundation wants our local communities to continue to be strong and vibrant places where people can reach their full potential. They want families to have access to nutritious supplemental food when needed. They work to ensure that Care and Share can meet community needs in Pueblo, particularly during difficult economic times. As such, Packard Foundation has been a strong supporter in the mission of Care and Share. They have funded Care and Share’s Children’s Nutrition Initiative, ensuring that young people have the food they need to grow and thrive. The Foundation has been instrumental in providing support for emergency food and mobile food pantries throughout Pueblo. They provided funding necessary for freezer and refrigeration in our Pueblo warehouse. Most recently they made a significant investment to assist us in expanding our Pueblo facility so that we can be successful in getting more food to more people in more places throughout Southern Colorado.
