Hi Care and Share friends! We’re excited to share Care and Share’s new strategic plan with everyone.

Since 1972, Care and Share has grown from an all-volunteer-led organization working out of a neighborhood garage in Colorado Springs to the sole food bank serving 31 counties across 52,000 square miles of Southern Colorado. We are continually adapting and responding to ever-changing factors, such as changes in the economy, the rising costs of essentials, and the effects of wildfires and other natural disasters.

Within Reach, our long-term strategic plan to provide food access to everyone in our service area struggling with hunger, concluded June 30, 2018. When we began Within Reach, we were serving 63% of the people in Southern Colorado who needed food. Now, we are reaching 97% of people struggling with hunger! Implementing Within Reach created a unified message and purpose for Care and Share that is engaging our partner agencies and the communities we serve even more in our mission.

As we begin our next phase of growth at Care and Share, we want to share our new strategic goals with the generous donors and communities that make our work so successful! Our new five-year strategic plan, which began July 1, 2018, includes four main outcomes:

1. Feed: Increase access to food – We have created an effective and efficient food distribution model, but we know we can always improve our day-to-day operations by identifying specific needs and exploring creative solutions that will help us provide more food through partnership opportunities.
2. Nourish: Improve diet quality – The majority of the food we currently distribute each year is considered highly nutritious. (low-sodium, whole grain, etc.) But, by supporting nutrition education efforts and maximizing our transportation, partner agency, and donor resources, we can continue to increase fresh produce and protein distribution.
3. Empower: Partner to strengthen food security – Our extensive network already provides SNAP (formerly known as food stamp) application assistance and Cooking Matters nutrition education to thousands of children, seniors, and individuals each year, but we have the capacity to build partnerships and expand our network to provide complementary services.
4. Unite: Increase passion to end hunger – By engaging with leaders, organizations, and community members at every level, we can work together to make hunger relief a priority across Southern Colorado.

At Care and Share, we believe no one should go hungry. And we are confident our new strategic plan will help us better serve our hungry neighbors and give everyone the nourishing food they need to thrive.