Right now in Colorado, one in nine people — including one in seven kids — is food insecure. These numbers are alarming and confirm what we've been seeing for years now: there is a persistent increase in need across our region.
Further evidence of this increased need can be seen in our operating data. On June 30, we wrapped up fiscal year 2024, giving us an opportunity to look back on the past year and crunch the numbers for how much food we distributed through our programs and Hunger Relief Partners. And those numbers say a lot.
In fiscal year 2024, we distributed more than 94 million pounds of food, which is the equivalent of more than 208,000 meals every single day. That’s 15% more food compared to the previous year.
However, even though we are distributing more food on average daily than since the height of the pandemic, it is still not enough to meet the increasing demand. Complicating matters further, pivotal, COVID-era federal funds we received over the last few years have expired. This loss in funding will leave a gap equivalent to about 20 million meals this coming year.
Which is why we need you. To fill that funding gap and make sure every community member experiencing food insecurity gets the food they need, we are relying on the generosity of our incredible supporters. Food prices aren’t going down. Neither are housing costs. The burden of making ends meet will continue to prevail in the years to come: Can we count on you to help us nourish our community?
Thank you for your past and, hopefully, future support. It plays a larger role in our mission right now than ever before.
