Clifton Christian Church Food Bank

As one of the largest food bank in Mesa County, Clifton Christian Church Food Bank addresses food insecurity with its disastrous connection to chronic disease and poor health. Children in households with sufficient food grow, and can attend school, concentrate, and learn; adults who are adequately fed secure and retain jobs, and ultimately are more self-reliant; and families are more stable when not forced to purchase food at the expense of health care, housing, or transportation.

Local individuals and families access food through the Food Bank every Wednesday and Friday, and the last Saturday of each month.  Households with four or fewer members receive a staple food bag with 20 various dry/canned items; households of five-plus receive two staple bags. Additional items – eggs, meat, produce, dairy, bread, pet food, toiletries (personal hygiene products, laundry soap) – are provided on a per-person basis as availability allows.  Finally, households can access special occasion items such as boxed Valentines, a filled Easter basket, or a bud vase with flower for Mother’s Day.

Ultimately, Clifton Christian Church Food Bank strives to be an amazing resource of love and compassion, where relationships are built and – with a bit of encouragement – clients can be world changers.  Those at the Food Bank see the fruits of this in both large and small ways, including on one Wednesday afternoon when the Food Bank had just received delivery of recovered grocery items.  Among the food was a can with no label.  A couple of the Food Bank volunteers shook the can and listened to the sound it made, trying to guess what was inside.  One volunteer said “Corn,” with another offering “Maybe pineapple.”  All the while, a client was standing nearby, watching intently. This man said to the Food Bank workers with great confidence, “I know what is in that can.”  He took the can and shook it once again, with everyone anticipating what he had to say and wondering how he could possibly know what was in that unlabeled can.   With a clever yet grateful smile, he said, “A blessing is in this can!”  His insightful words touched all, including the other clients there receiving food that day. 

Each can of food is – indeed – a blessing, as Clifton Christian Church Food Bank works to be for so many individuals and families living in significant need.  Those involved are grateful and honored to be an important asset to the community and invite the support and partnership of El Pomar Foundation to help reduce the significant number of individuals living in food insecurity in Clifton/Mesa County residents, and to ensure the continued capacity and endurance of Clifton Christian Church Food Bank to meet basic human needs.