Care and Share Food Bank for Southern Colorado is celebrating 50 years of fighting food insecurity in 29 counties across 47,000 square miles of both rural and urban areas. This milestone has been achieved by adapting and responding to ever-changing factors, such as economic fluctuations and rising costs of essentials.
Willing to continually evolve, Care and Share announced mid-summer their backing of local farmers by sourcing produce from them directly. This endeavor was made possible through the Food Purchase Assistance Program, which enables farmers to deliver directly to Care and Share’s network of pantries and markets, bypassing the distribution center.
Nourishing Neighbors
“We work to responsibly gather food from multiple sources, distributing to 291 partners across 29 Colorado counties,” says Nate Springer, president and CEO of Care and Share.
Prior to taking the helm of Care and Share, Springer served in the U.S. Army, concluding his service at Fort Carson. With his background, Springer’s been working to spearhead solutions to military hunger.
“With Feeding America, I was part of the first ever conference on military hunger, and now we have funds to work with,” Springer says enthusiastically. “El Paso County is the perfect place to assist with food inequality amongst active military and veterans.”
Feeding America is a nationwide, nonprofit network of more than 200 food banks—including Care and Share—that feed more than 46 million people through pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and other community-based agencies. It is the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States
“We’re creating a model for other food banks,” continues Springer. “Going forward, I anticipate more money going towards military hunger.”
Using Funds Resourcefully
Care and Share’s pillars are: resilience, integrity, dignity, equity, excellence and people. Resourcefully using funds is something Care and Share values and excels at, with Springer disclosing that they often double the value of a dollar and sometimes stretch it to $5.
In September, “The Harvest Month,” the food bank hosted an anniversary celebration with modestly priced tickets, rather than a pricey fundraiser.
“We wanted to thank our supporters for their donations of time, food and money to our crucial cause,” Springer says.
Along with a big THANK YOU, the celebration was intended to introduce young people to Care and Share’s mission.
Food on the Table, Folks on their Feet
“In our last fiscal year, we did the second highest output of our 50-year history,” Springer says. “We put 21 million meals out the door.”
“Most that go to a food pantry aren't going just once,” continues Springer. “They're going for a period of time until they can get back on their feet, get a job or whatever the case may be.”
“I’d add, it's just really important for people to get involved and donate,” says Adam Urhenik, marketing and communications director. “As said, we can stretch our dollars. Donating a couple bucks can go a long way, and that's important for people to know.”
Website: https://careandshare.org/
Facebook + Instagram: @CareAndShareFB
Humble Beginnings, Humanitarian History
In the early 1970s, Sister Dominique Pisciotta began a food bank that became Care and Share. Seeing many facing hunger, Pisciotta organized food acquisition and distribution. Initially, the mission operated in basements, garages and churches before its first warehouse. Now, Care and Share is the largest food bank in Southern Colorado.