The end of the year is once again upon us, and what better way to close out the year than to say thank you! Throughout the past year, your support has helped our neighbors across Colorado and Wyoming by providing nourishing, familiar food. Seeing people’s smiling faces when they receive food from one of our Hunger Relief Partners or mobile pantries and knowing that they no longer have to worry about where their next meal will come from fuels our mission — and your generosity is what keeps it all going. 

Times are hard for hundreds of thousands of our neighbors during the holiday season as well as throughout the year. If you’ve already made an end-of-the-year gift: thank you! If you’re looking for ways to further bolster Food Bank of the Rockies’ work and the neighbors we help nourish, check out our blog outlining the top ways to support us this season. Or, if a financial gift isn’t feasible this year, join us as a volunteer! We make it as easy and fun as possible to donate your time as an individual, group, or family. Click here to learn more about opportunities to support your community through volunteering. 

As of this writing, thanks to your gifts of money and time, we have distributed more than 73 million pounds of food in 2023, equal to more than 58.5 million meals. Thank you so much for your support this past year. We hope you’ll stick with us in 2024 to help us support even more of our neighbors experiencing hunger. Happy holidays from all of us at Food Bank of the Rockies! 

See your donations in action with our latest video, highlighting the ways Food Bank of the Rockies is supporting our neighbors. Watch now

The following neighbor stories are from the Fresh Thanks Grocery Distribution hosted by Integrated Family Community Services, a Hunger Relief Partner of Food Bank of the Rockies. 

Alicia and Aelwen   

Alicia lost her condo in a fire over the summer and was unhoused for a brief period of time. The rebuild could take a few years so she is paying her mortgage, HOA fees, and rent while they rebuild. Alicia works, but putting food on the table for her daughter, Aelwen, and son, Tristan, is beyond challenging.   

“It is an amazing thing to know that people care and give. It's something that the people who are on the receiving end, like us, won't even know how to thank you for,” shared Alicia. “[Distributions like this are] massively important and seriously something we're so thankful for, just to be able to have that support at times like these.”

Jennifer

Jennifer is a college student and attended the distribution so that her family could enjoy a Thanksgiving meal together. Her mom’s work hours have been cut and her dad has been sick, which has caused Jennifer’s family to struggle to put sufficient food on the table.  

“My siblings have been looking forward to Thanksgiving and we just weren't able to have enough money to be able to buy them that,” Jennifer said. “So with this, it's such an amazing opportunity. We are able to give them vegetables and fruits and things that they need in order to help them with their development. My sister has been wanting to have a turkey, so we've been trying to learn how to make turkey for the past two years.” 

Andrea 

Andrea has health issues due to not having access to enough nutritious food and is currently unable to work. In addition, her SNAP benefits were cut this year and the property taxes on her home have increased, so she's barely able to keep herself and her family afloat even with her husband working. Being able to pick up food at distributions like this helps her stretch her budget and make it through these tough times.  

“I will take these pears and make a jam or jelly or something out of them. Everything in here can be used. Even if I have to can it to make it last couple of weeks, I could use everything in here,” Andrea said. “I don't care what it is, I will find a way to make a meal out of it.” 

Make Your Colorado Gives Day Gift Today!

Tuesday, December 5, is Colorado Gives Day, and we’re inviting you to have your donation DOUBLED thanks to our friends at United Airlines! United has generously offered to match donations made to Food Bank of the Rockies, up to $50,000, which means your gift can make twice the impact on hunger in our community. You don’t have to wait until the 5th to make your gift; give today. Thank you!