When Hortencia stops by one of our Mobile Food Pantry distributions, her son is right by her side and ready to help carry the boxes filled with food back to their car. Hortencia stays home to take care of Jesus, who frequently has seizures.

"When I tasted the mandarin oranges for the first time, they tasted really good," Ava told us.
We asked her what she liked about the mandarin oranges. She said she really liked that they were healthy.

We met Yolanda and her daughter at a recent Mobile Food Pantry distribution. “My daughter, Mariah, loves the cantaloupes because they are sweet and juicy," she told us. It was the first time the mom of three stopped by one of our drive-thru distributions.

The first time Richelle stopped by one of our Mobile Market Distributions, she was shocked by the amount and type of food she was able to take home. “I received chicken, pork, vegetables, fruit, grains and milk from Care and Share,” she said.

When our Mobile Market stopped by Xaiver’s neighborhood, the seven-year old happily helped his mom carry a bag of food because it had one of his favorite meals in it — pizza. “I love pizza because of the cheese and the crust,” he told us. “Food makes me feel happy because it gives me more energy.”

Mary is a proud grandma to four grandkids. After retiring from her career as a music teacher, she started taking care of them often. When the COVID-19 outbreak hit, her grandchildren stayed inside with her more than usual, which meant more meals.

Scott Bell was a long-time donor and volunteer at the Mountaineer Food Bank in West Virginia. When he relocated to Colorado Springs, he found himself volunteering at Care and Share almost immediately.

Linda says she firmly believes in our purpose and vision, and that nutritious food is one of the most basic human needs. “For many years, I have wanted to give back to my community. Care and Share allows me to do that,” Linda said. “Every person has hopes, dreams, and aspirations and hunger can be an obstacle. I want to be part of removing those obstacles.”

Members of SCHEELS Helping Hands, the retailer’s volunteer program, have spent several afternoons at the Care and Share distribution center packing food boxes and meal bags that will be distributed to neighbors across Southern Colorado.

Monica Jessen has been a long-time supporter of Care and Share Food Bank for Southern Colorado. She began volunteering along with her two young children in 1990. “I wanted to instill in my boys the belief of giving back to our community,” comments Monica.

Cindy has been a volunteer for three years and is fully committed to making a difference in our community. Her hard work and dedication as a volunteer has inspired other volunteers to take initiative and make the commitment to ensure Care and Shares’ basic needs are met.

Marcia has been volunteering at Care and Share since she moved to the area in 2017. “I was very involved with Food Bank of the Rockies,” explains Marcia, “and once I relocated to Colorado Springs, I quickly found Care and Share Food Bank for Southern Colorado!”

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.”

Over the past 15 years, Helping Hands’ food pantry has seen a steady increase in the number of families, seniors, and other vulnerable neighbors they have served. Last year, their food pantry provided food for 1,715 people across 572 households.

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.”