...An immigrant mom whose limited English makes it hard to get the community resources she and her two sons need. A school counselor who is overwhelmed by the uptick in requests for help from families. A cash-strapped teacher who adds extra items to her grocery list so that hunger is less of a barrier for the students in her classroom. These are all individuals who benefit from Food for Hope’s programs, which aim to provide students in Adams County with the nutrition they need, regardless of the circumstances at home.
Food for Hope (FFH) programs exclusively serve the Adams County students and their families behind those staggering statistics. FFH works with school districts to get healthy food to students where they already go every day, as opposed to a traditional food bank that requires a special trip and extensive personal information in order to be served. FFH leverages school infrastructure and mobilizes dedicated volunteers at 39 school and district sites to provide weekend food bags, high-protein school snacks, and an in-school food pantry program in Brighton, Commerce City, Federal Heights, Northglenn, Thornton and Westminster. In the 2023-24 school year, Food for Hope fed an average of 2,933 individuals per month, almost doubling the impact from the 2022-23 year. Food for Hope has just moved into a new operational space to accommodate for needed growth.
Funds from Colorado Gives Day will support the overall growth of the organization - purchasing food for existing programs and to expand programs to schools currently on a waitlist for services. Food for Hope currently has 15 local schools/districts on our food programming wait list. The Colorado Gives Day funds will also support our new infrastructure needed to receive, store, and distribute thousands of pounds of food per week.
Northglenn High - Food Pantry STEM Launch - Food Pantry27J BLARC - District Food Pantry (Brighton)Family Shopping - Food PantryFamily Shopping - Food Pantry
Testimonials
The most exciting fact about working together is that through the Food for Hope Partnership and Adams 14’s commitment, we transform challenges into opportunities, nurturing both mind and bodies, and proving that hope and collaboration can create a future where every student thrives! - Dr. Karla Loria, Superintendent of Schools, Adams 14 School District
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"It's hard to make ends meet these days. Food for Hope helps us with enough food to get by for the week. I truly am grateful for their help." - Food pantry Client
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"The access to healthy and nourishing food provided by Food For Hope allows families to put more of their limited financial resources towards maintaining housing and keeping the lights and water on, and reduces some of the stress that parents have when wondering how they will put food on the table. In addition, the food assistance is of immeasurable benefit to our Adams 12 families who are not eligible for public benefits like SNAP. Over the past few very difficult months, we have seen more tears of joy and appreciation that we can count, as families realize not only that they have access to food but that there are organizations like Food For Hope who are dedicated to bettering the lives of our students and families." - Lisle Reed, Whole Child Initiatives, Adams 12 Five Star Schools
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One of the amazing things about the resource closet and food bank at Pinnacle Charter School is it is on-site for our students and families. We know many families in our community experience challenges with transportation, and providing resources for them at the school helps cut down on the number of trips they need to make to obtain food for their families. We greatly appreciate the opportunity Food for Hope has given the Pinnacle community, and we thank them for their role in helping our students and families. -Chad Miller, Chief Financial Officer - Pinnacle Charter School
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"We have found great support from all the staff who help in the delivery of food, they are a blessing for us as a family since we do not have the necessary resources to properly feed our children. May God continue to bless them so that they continue to grow with that beautiful work they do." - Food Bank Client
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"This food is important because we didn't have enough food in our house." - Student at North Mor Elementary
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“Food for Hope has taught me that there are many people who don’t have food, not just for Thanksgiving, but for everyday life and that breaks my heart. What we do for Food for Hope is so simple, but it means so much. I feel that I have made a difference in the lives of children and their families through my time at Food for Hope. - Ayden Martinez, Volunteer