Good morning friends of Care and Share!

“The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.”
– Phil Jackson

Nowhere is strength of team more evident than in the collective group that feeds people at risk of hunger throughout Southern Colorado. Within Reach, our plan to provide access to food for all of our neighbors in need, is only possible when we work together as a team.

This week at Care and Share, we welcomed a new member to our team, Lauren Erdman. For the next three years, as called for in our Within Reach plan, Lauren will be exploring Southern Colorado, meeting new people and learning about their needs in order to create new access points for food distribution. Lauren will be working to establish innovative programs to help us get more food to more people in more places. She will ultimately help us reach thousands of additional Southern Coloradoans that do not have access to enough food. We are pleased to have Lauren on board. Her arrival is a case study in team.

Think about this…

Lauren’s position, and support for the work she will do, is all funded through two generous gifts, one from Kaiser Permanente Colorado and one from the Lyda Hill Foundation. Donors are vital to the team. These two donors, through their collective giving and mutual optimism that we can make the world a better place, made possible together what was impossible alone. Collaborators are vital to the team. Lauren will be traveling and meeting the volunteers and employees associated with our partner agencies. We can’t distribute food to those in need without these partner agencies. Agencies are vital to the team. Lauren will be learning something new, every day, because the staff and volunteers at Care and Share will make sure she has the tools she needs to be successful. Staff and volunteers are vital to the team. Lauren will be on a listening tour. She will engage with the people in need, understand their perspective, and help to tell their story. She will be their voice and their champion in many ways. Advocates are vital to the team.

We are grateful to each and every donor, collaborator, partner agency, staff member, volunteer, and advocate. Each one shares our belief that no one should go hungry. It is an important team. So, it is with hope and enthusiasm that we welcome Lauren. We can’t wait to see what she will accomplish with the team cheering her on.