It is difficult to make ends meet given the growing costs of housing, childcare, medical, and other expenses. Many families face tough decisions between buying food and paying their bills. At the Food Bank for Larimer County, 94% of donated resources go directly to our hunger-relief programs!
"I want to say thank you, from the bottom of my heart. You're helping us, you're donating your time and money, and you're respectful to Hispanic people."
"I don't usually have money to go to the grocery store like I used to, so the food we get is wonderful. It helps tremendously."
"The food I get here is so high-quality. Everyone in my household eats vegetables and I can get enough to last the week. I pack them in my daughter's lunchbox, and she loves them."
"When the volunteers see that we have kids in the car, they will run inside and get a small toy or sweet treat for each of them. It makes for a really special experience for our kids, and we are so grateful for the wonderful people here."
"The only reason we were able to eat for a few months was the food bank. And the money we didn't pay towards groceries made it possible to just squeak by on rent."
"I appreciate all that the volunteers, staff, and donors do for us. I take apples and carrots to my friend who is in her 80s, and the rest comes home with me."
"The food...is making an enormous difference to my family. I am so grateful to the Food Bank for Larimer County for all their help in getting me the nutritious food my family needs. From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much!"
"I don't understand how anyone can walk through the doors of the Food Bank and not be grateful. When I walk in there, I get chills, because there is so much love in that building. How can you not be blessed by the food and the people there? They're lifting box after box after box, and they're doing it for people they don't even know. Do you know what kind of heart these people have? Because I do."
To provide food to all in need through community partnerships and hunger relief programs.
Imagine trying to operate a food bank out of 900 square feet of space - with only one phone, a chair, and a card table. Sandy Bowden didn't just imagine it, she did it! The genesis of the food bank was a survey in 1983 conducted by Bowden, a VISTA volunteer. The intent was to determine the food status of the elderly and low-income residents in our community. The survey made it clear there was a need for a centralized location where donated food could be given to those in need. Fortunately, the reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints was able to donate space in a building on east Oak Street in Fort Collins. In the first month of operation, volunteers were proud to give out 3,800 pounds of food.
What began as a small operation to feed more people in Larimer County has grown into a far-reaching and efficient organization. Last year, the Food Bank for Larimer County provided enough food for almost 8 million meals while serving tens of thousands of individuals through various programs.
Our Fresh Food Share program is one of the nation's largest client-choice fresh food pantries. In 2022, we distributed more than 7.4 million pounds of food through our two main pantry locations in Fort Collins and Loveland, and our three mobile pantries. Almost 40% of the food we distribute is fresh produce.
Our Nutritious Kitchen programs serve free, scratch-made meals and snacks to children and older adults in our community. For the past two summers, our kitchen has produced more than 100,000 meals and snacks, many of which were distributed through The Lunch Lab. The Lunch Lab is a food-truck-style meal service program that offers free food to children, no questions asked, and has helped families in Larimer County make ends meet when school lunches are not available.
The Nourishing Network program allows nearly 100 nonprofit community partners to shop for food for the individuals they serve. Last year, we distributed more than 1.6 million pounds of food to community partners through the Nourishing Network.
In May of 2018, we moved our offices, kitchen, and warehouse to a new facility at 5706 Wright Drive in Loveland. This new headquarters provides 42,000 square feet of office and warehouse space, including 173,500 cubic feet of freezer and cooler space. This building has allowed us to expand to meet the need for food in Larimer County. In 2021, we acquired The Nappie Project, a nonprofit dedicated to ending diaper poverty. Since then, we've distributed hundreds of thousands of free diapers to our clients. In 2022, we were able to add 23,296 cubic feet of freezer and cooler space at our Fort Collins Fresh Food Share, giving us even more flexibility to store and distribute high-demand, nutritious food items.
When COVID-19 hit, we responded with innovations and adaptations that have made us an even stronger organization, including a new curbside pickup option for our clients who are unable to come inside our Fresh Food Share pantries.
The problem of food insecurity is far from over: Feeding America estimates that as many as 1 in 12 people in Colorado don't have consistent access to enough food to live an active, healthy life. Inflation, supply chain issues and global problems with food production make the future uncertain, but our plan is simple: feed, connect, and innovate. We refuse to stop working toward our vision of a hunger-free Larimer County.
Organization name
The Food Bank for Larimer County
other names
FBLC
1984
Category
Food, Agriculture & Nutrition
Organization Size
Large Organization
Address
5706 Wright DriveOther
1301 Blue Spruce DriveOther
2600 N. Lincoln Ave.Larimer County, CO, US