“We just wouldn’t be able to afford these veggies otherwise,” she said. “The kids are getting what they need because of this.” And they’re not just getting veggies. During the summer, kids can also eat breakfast and lunch at the pantry.

“As a mom, it makes me feel bad when I can’t provide my sons with things other families seem to take for granted – like holiday meals,” Brittany continued. “It’s heartbreaking. But because of the mobile pantry, I could provide that for them this year. I’m grateful, it’s been such a huge blessing.”

For Kimberly, a wife and mother of three boys, food means family, and she considers feeding her family an expression of love. After spending 26 years as missionaries in Russia, a change in laws unexpectedly forced Kimberly and her husband to return to the United States. The abrupt transition was difficult, and after years of helping feed children overseas, Kimberly now found herself struggling to feed her own family.

Beau, a 4th grader at Queen Palmer Elementary, knows that it’s hard to focus or have energy when he’s hungry. “My tummy speaks to me and says, ‘feed me, feed me, feed me,’ and it never stops and it’s annoying,” he told us.

Food means a lot to Ingrid. She knows the importance of having access to enough nutritious meals because she still remembers what it felt like to be hungry.

Carl has been going to our partner food pantry, the Foodbank Network of the San Luis Valley, for the past four years. Each time, he brings along his joyful sidekick: his grandson, five-year-old Zachary.

For Martha, giving back to the community means that she is helping the community to stay healthy and thrive. One of the best parts of volunteering, Martha says, is the people.

Mary volunteers with our Send Hunger Packing program, which had been a long-time favorite of hers. As a volunteer, she helps to fill bags with nutritious food for children to take home each Friday during the school year. During the summer months, you can find Mary volunteering at the Welcome Desk in our Distribution Center, where she greets and interacts with Care and Share’s partner agencies.

Comcast has selected Care and Share to host their Comcast Cares Day for many years in a row.

Care and Share is so fortunate to have volunteers who are eager to learn and jump in wherever they’re needed: people like Christopher Hopkins. Whether it be packing food, cooking meals in our kitchen, doing dishes, or pulling weeds, Christopher willingly helps where needed.

Linda Himes has been volunteering at Care and Share Food Bank for over ten years. She spends her time planting, cultivating, and harvesting crops in our gardens.

Carl Reese has been volunteering at Care and Share Food Bank for the past three years. As a Peer Coordinator, he helps supervise and lead volunteer groups as they sort and repack food.

Fresh, healthy produce is highly important to our work at Care and Share, and it means a great deal to the families, seniors, and children that we serve. Last fiscal year, 80 percent of the food we distributed was classified as highly nutritious, much of which comes from local farming partners, such as Colorado State University Extension.

Turkey Day is better than Christmas for some of us, because we just get to feed so many families. It’s not just a meal. It’s a special meal.

Did you know that Sprouts is one of our local food partners? They have been committed to donating fresh produce and food items to Care and Share for several years, and we couldn’t be more grateful. Through their generosity, they’ve helped us provide nearly 224,000 meals to our neighbors in need.

“You all have passion at Care and Share, and that brings out my passion.”

“We give back as an appreciation to our customers. We believe businesses have a duty to give back to the communities they serve,” said Art Stawsi, President of Loaf ’N Jug and Quik Stop. “With our focus being on programs benefiting children and families, Care and Share became an ideal organization to partner with. I would encourage other businesses like ours who also believe in helping families fight hunger in their neighborhoods to contact Care and Share…it could be their perfect fit, too.”

Food rescue is a big part of the work we do, and we can’t do it without loyal partners like King Soopers! Care and Share drivers stop by local King Soopers stores multiple times a week to pick up food donations that make it onto the plates of our neighbors in need.

Care and Share Food Bank is a satellite partner of Cooking Matters Colorado, a campaign of Share Our Strength, which is a national organization working to end hunger and poverty. Through the courses, our Cooking Matters team teaches families on a low-income salary how to stretch their dollar at the grocery store and cook healthy meals.

We are proud to partner with Pueblo Community College in the fight against hunger! PCC knows how important it is for all students to have access to nutritious food when they need it. To make sure their students can operate and learn at peak function, the college opened food pantries at their two campus locations.

“We had people bring in recipes and made them into a cookbook. We gave people tote bags and the books so people would have a guide on how to use the food from the pantry. It makes you feel good knowing you’ve helped somebody.”

Dove Creek, Colorado is located in the Southwest corner of our state. It is a small, rural community with a population of less than 800. Nearly 23% of its residents are living below the poverty level.

Peter Medina is our Pueblo Cooking Matters Coordinator. His enthusiasm is contagious and he has a knack for inspiring even the most introverted participant to get involved in cooking.