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Dear Hunger Relief Partners,
Our hearts are heavy for every community member impacted by the devastating Marshall and Middle Fork fires, including our fellow Feeding Colorado food bank Community Food Share, which serves Boulder and Broomfield counties.
We are sincerely grateful to all emergency personnel who helped fight these fires. We continue to collaborate with Community Food Share and disaster-relief organizations to ensure that as food needs increase due to this tragedy, we can support the communities as needed.
Read more from Community Food Share: Wildfire Update
As we mourn the tragedy of the wild fire, we also welcome a new year and reflect on the importance of food traditions that serve to commemorate the close of the passing year. Often, New Year’s meal traditions are meant to indicate the wish for a healthy and prosperous year ahead for participants. We here at Food Bank of the Rockies affirm our commitment to you, our hunger-relief partners, as we support our communities together in this year to come.
Wishing you a healthy and successful 2022.
Important Dates
- Wednesday, January 19: Virtual partner orientation 1:00 p.m.
- Friday, January 28: Pick-ups and orders will be accepted up to 3:00 p.m.
- Monday, January 31: Pick-ups only until 12:00 p.m.; orders accepted for 2/02 until 3:00 p.m.
- Tuesday, February 8: Virtual partner orientation 10:00 a.m.
- Saturday, February 12: Open 9:00 – 11:30 a.m.
- Wednesday, February 16: Virtual partner orientation 1:00 p.m.
- Thursday, February 17: Orders for 2/22 accepted until 3:00 p.m.
- Friday, February 18: Orders for 2/23 accepted until 3:00 p.m.
- Monday, February 21: CLOSED DUE TO HOLIDAY
For more important dates, view the January 2022 calendar, click here.
To view the February 2022 calendar, click here.
For our full calendar of important dates, please refer to the NEW 2022 calendar.
If you have any questions, please contact our Partner Support Team: partnersupport@foodbankrockies.org
COVID-19 Protocol
Please reschedule your visit if you are experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms. If you are visibly sick (coughing, sneezing, fever, etc.), we will ask you to leave and reschedule your appointment. In accordance with CDC recommendations, face coverings are required at all times in this facility for all individuals regardless of vaccination status. Thank you for helping us keep everyone healthy.
Advocacy/Policy Update
Feeding Colorado is gearing up for the spring state legislative session, and we have finalized our 2022 Policy Agenda with priorities that will support Colorado’s five food banks, our partner agencies, and the people we serve. On the federal level, we have advocated for final passage of the Build Back Better Act by the U.S. Congress, particularly the critical nutrition provisions and an extension of the Child Tax Credit which has cut child poverty in half and will continue to provide vital support to Colorado families. For more information about our advocacy and public policy work or to get involved, please contact Effie Rorke at erorke@feedingcolorado.org or visit www.feedingcolorado.org.
Program Updates
The Find Food page on our website is designed to be a comprehensive list of pantries and meal programs families can use to identify resources in their neighborhoods. Thousands of people rely on foodbankrockies.org/find-food for locations, times, and eligibility requirements; however, this information is only as accurate as the information we receive from partners. Please use the link above to look up your program and verify your listing is correct.
If you would like to change your listing, or do not see your program listed and would like to be added, please fill this form and email it back to partnersupport@foodbankrockies.org, and we will update your information.
EverGreen Box™ Program Training
The next EverGreen Box™ Program training webinar is scheduled for Thursday, January 27, at 11:00 a.m. via Zoom. It will cover updates and allow time for questions. We look forward to seeing you there.
Zoom Link:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85285996455?pwd=SURqeEdKczgxdmJhNGVranRlTGR0Zz09
Meeting ID: 852 8599 6455
Passcode: 919859
TEFAP Product Update
Thanks to the Build Back Better Act, food options available to TEFAP partners are more diverse than ever before. Grant funds have been provided to order items such as frozen vegetables, proteins, and a 10-12 pound box of fresh fruits and vegetables. Please email Amanda Wenzell at awenzell@foodbankrockies.org for more information.
Space Still Available for Afterschool Meal Program (CACFP)
Applications are still being accepted for the 2021-2022 Afterschool Meal Program (CACFP). As a sponsor with the state of Colorado, Food Bank of the Rockies provides fresh meals to partnering sites who have after-school programs for children 18 and younger. There is no cost to partners, and delivery options are expanding in our service area. Interested partners must complete an application. Training and support are provided by our Food for Kids team.
For questions, contact Eva Knezic: 303-375-5862 or eknezic@foodbankrockies.org.
Download the CACFP Application here: 2021-2022-CACFP-Application-with-agreement.pdf
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
Tech Capacity Building Funds Still Available for New Link2Feed Roll-out
Food Bank of the Rockies has funding available to support partners with upgrading and purchasing new technology. The funds are specifically available for partners interested in implementing Link2Feed. Recipients of this technology must commit to training sessions and roll out Link2Feed within a timely manner of receiving the equipment. Applications are processed on a first come, first served basis, with priority given to TEFAP partners. The maximum allotment is $3,000 per partner.
If you have any questions regarding this opportunity, please contact Zia O’Neill at 720-715-7725 or L2F@foodbankrockies.org.
Download: 2021_CO_Tech_Capacity_Building_Application.pdf
New Staffing Announcements
Ashley Newell is our new Culturally Responsive Manager. She recently moved to Denver after 10 years living in Cape Town, South Africa, where she worked on social and economic development initiatives and completed her Master’s in Inclusive Innovation. Most recently, she co-founded a COVID response organization enabling small-scale farmers and fishers to supply fresh vegetables and protein to food-insecure communities across South Africa. Welcome, Ashley!
Anna Lisa Ferrante is our new Culturally Responsive Representative. Anna Lisa has just relocated to Colorado from Maine and has extensive experience in the food industry. She served in both the Peace Corps and AmeriCorps, and her hobbies include collecting antiquarian cookbooks, hiking, puzzles, fishing, and gardening. Welcome, Anna Lisa!
Virginia Childs is our new Partner Support Representative. Virginia recently moved to Colorado from Atlanta, Georgia. She is enjoying getting to know her new state while keeping up on her hobbies of baking and reading. Welcome, Virginia!
Partner Highlight
Metro Ministries began in 2010 as a church that wanted to serve their community. They started by running a Totes of Hope™ program at Swansea Elementary and have since developed mobile food-pantry program facilitating 30 sites a month and a summer program providing groceries to kids. Each year, Metro Ministries continues to expand their operations to better serve all who face hunger.
Like many partners, Metro Ministries has had to adjust their work due to the pandemic. Early on, they were compelled to pause their mobile food pantries. They responded by partnering with two Denver housing authorities to provide food boxes to residents, allowing clients to more readily access food while simultaneously developing a relationship with the housing authority. In July 2021, they returned to their mobile food pantry model, but have continued to also partner with the housing authorities.
A key feature of Metro Ministries’ programs involves bringing services directly to participants. Many of their guests have limited transportation, so having a mobile food pantry in their neighborhood gives them increased access to food. The mobile pantries also allow clients to choose the products that best fit their needs, amplifying satisfaction and bolstering dignity.
Metro Ministries’ work and growth relies on outside support. According to Bob Van Wyck, Metro Ministries’ Lead Pastor and Executive Director, “This growth would not be possible without the partnership we have with Food Bank of the Rockies and the countless volunteers that help us to serve the community.”
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