Through recent newsletters, conference calls, our blog, and coffee meetings with Lynne, we introduced our new five-year initiative, Within Reach. It is Care and Share’s plan to provide access to food for all of our Southern Colorado neighbors at risk of hunger. Accomplishing this will require innovation, risk taking, and being open to trying new things. Most importantly, it will require your continued partnership in our core purpose to bridge the gap between hunger and abundance.
With your help we are off and running. Thank you! Here are a few things we are super proud to report:
- We have grown our distribution of the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) from 19 sites to 25 sites, ensuring that even more seniors have the nutritious food they need to thrive.
- Thanks to grants from United Way of Pueblo County and Proctor & Gamble, we are implementing new mobile food pantries at each of the Pueblo School District 60 high schools. Students are able to access food for their families and volunteer to serve one another.
- In collaboration with our partner agencies, we have distributed 950,000 more pounds of food this year than we distributed for the same time period last year.
- Volunteers in September invested 2,214 hours of their time, saving the food bank more than $55,000 in labor costs.
- We have acquired beautiful fruits and vegetables during this harvest season. Pumpkins, sweet potatoes, and peppers of all varieties have made their way to our neighbors in need.
- Financial donors are already investing in the work. They are excited about the prospect of Within Reach and they have provided generous gifts.
We will continue to provide updates about Within Reach. To learn more about the plan, go to http://careandshare.org/AboutUs/Within%20Reach.aspx 
Together, we can solve hunger!
