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Pueblo Cooperative Care Center serves over 36,000 individuals, families and the homeless in Pueblo County with critical need resources that include food, clothing, medical prescription assistance, personal hygiene products, emergency inner-city transportation and voucher programs free to clients.
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Start a fundraiser Current fundraisers for this charity (0)Pueblo Cooperative Care Center is a community faith-based organization with a mission to prevent hunger and improve the quality of life to citizens residing in Pueblo County.
In 1982, Pueblo Cooperative Care Center was established to provide emergency services to less fortunate individuals in the Pueblo community. The Center was founded as and remains a faith-based emergency crisis center. It was established by five local churches and Colorado Fuel & Iron Corporation (CF&I) as an emergency food assistance program to address the needs of over 800 families (2,000 individuals) who were devastated by a loss of employment. CF&I, now known as EVRAZ Rocky Mountain Steel reduced their workforce by up to 1,000 employees weekly. These individuals relied heavily on CF&I for employment and stability as did the Pueblo community. In addition, Colorado's statewide recession was challenging to Pueblo as the cities lifeblood was manufacturing. Pueblo endured eight consecutive years of double digit unemployment and the community population dropped by nearly 10%. Pueblo survived and so did Pueblo Cooperative Care Center which now has support from over 60 churches of multiple denominations, businesses, corporations, foundations, government, civic organizations and individuals.
Pueblo Cooperative Care Center is known as the central hub for individuals in crisis and is now the largest emergency food resource in southern Colorado. Direct services have expanded to include food, clothing, medical prescription assistance, personal hygiene essentials (basic needs), emergency transportation and voucher programs.
Each summer Pueblo Cooperative Care Center provides "Power-Up Kidz Sacks" to school age children (ages 2 to 14) while children are not in school. Many children experience a deficiency in nutritious foods which they regularly obtain through the educational system. This program provides healthy and nutritious foods, snacks and beverages to children in Pueblo County.
Prior to 2017, Pueblo Cooperative Care Center distributed 500 "Power-Up Kidz Sacks" each year. In 2017, 1,000 children were served by the "Power-Up Kidz Sack" program and increased needs were identified. In 2018, 2,250 "Power-Up Kidz Sacks" were distributed, a 125% increase. Included in this years "Power-Up Kidz Sacks" was an oral hygiene component added prior to distributions. Substantial needs remain in Pueblo County and Pueblo Cooperative Care Center will strive to meet these needs with future distributions.
