33% of Coloradans lack reliable access to nutritious food
SNAP enrollment in Colorado is up 23% over pre-pandemic levels
35% of US households are ineligible for SNAP due to their income or immigration status
About Food Connect Colorado
Who We Are
We are a new 501(c)3 food pantry and a partner agency of Food Bank of the Rockies, Denver. We hold a free food market every Thursday from 10 am-5 pm. No income requirements, must be a resident of the Aurora/Montbello Area. Every week, with the help of our valued volunteers, we stock our market with fresh produce, dairy, dry groceries, and bread and distribute it to people in our community.
Our Mission
The mission of Food Connect Colorado is “Reducing Food Waste by Sharing Reclaimed Food With People in Need in Our Local Community”. Your generous donations help us achieve our goals and fulfill our mission.
Thank you so much for supporting our mission to give help to people who are facing food insecurity!!
Free food market in Aurora bridges gap between food waste and hunger
AURORA, Colo. — More Coloradans are in need of food than ever before. Food Bank of the Rockies said during 2020, the need for food in its service areas increased by upwards of 50 percent, and some months it climbed as high as 80 percent. Food Connect Colorado is working to bring those numbers down in this one area of the state.
“Aurora is very underserved with free food resources,” said Elizabeth Watts, president of Food Connect Colorado.
Every Thursday and the second Saturday of the month, the nonprofit associated with Food Bank of the Rockies opens its doors to a free food market. It acts just like a grocery store where people can come and choose the food and other items they need.
“That’s what we strive for to have like a normal experience here that people can come in and pick whatever they want,” said Watts. “You don’t pay for anything. Everything is free.”
Watch the entire story on Rocky Mountain PBS
Food Connect Colorado distributes food directly to people in need. No income requirements, must be a resident of the Aurora/Montbello Area.
Donate
Expanding Our Capabilities to Help More
We recently moved to a location where we can provide a client choice free food market. Every week we are able to offer fresh produce, dairy, dry groceries, and bread. Shoppers make an appointment and then come shop the market for the items they want.
As the need for free food markets increases, we must have the ability to store more food at our warehouse. Our current goal is to purchase: 2-3 commercial coolers, 2 large freezers and more sturdy shelving units.
The mission of Food Connect Colorado is “Reducing Food Waste by Sharing Reclaimed Food With People in Need in Our Local Community”. Your generous donation will help us achieve our goals and fulfill our mission.
In the first five months of operation, we served 10,012 individuals, 2,380 households.
44% of the individuals we serve are under 18.
Volunteer
Help Us Help Others
Volunteers are the backbone of our operation at Food Connect Colorado. We need many helping hands to fulfill our mission of “Reducing food waste by sharing reclaimed food with people in need in our local community”. If you want to do something that will make a real difference in people’s lives, become a part of our volunteer team!
To sign up now, use the button below. There you will find details about our volunteer opportunities and available shifts. For questions or additional information, please contact us.
Partners
We would like to thank our great partners
