Teller Pantry Friends

Teller Pantry Friends is a not-for-profit, 501(c)3 charity dedicated to providing living essentials to current students, their families as well as staff at Teller Elementary. Teller is located in the heart of Denver. We believe everyone at Teller should have access to nutritious food, personal care items and basic cleaning supplies. The bodega-style pantry that is operated by Teller Pantry Friends allows for access to these items with no questions asked. Our goal is to provide free choice and increase the pride and dignity of everyone we serve. We believe that every person has a valid need and will take only what they need. We also believe that reducing the stigma of what it means to visit a pantry is critical to supporting the dignity of all community members. When a student sees their friends, their teachers, friends' parents, and others they see every day at school shopping in the pantry, any stigma will disappear!

We have always been volunteer run and operated by parents, staff (who also happen to be parents of students at the school!), and community members.

Before we were Teller Pantry Friends we were Teller Backpack Friends!

The Teller Backpack Friends program (Backpack Friends) was created in 2013 to ensure no Teller student faced hunger, especially over weekends and holidays when they were not in school. For 10 years, Backpack Friends helped families feed themselves and their children. Weekly, volunteers packed 2 bags per family for students to take home based on each families' needs. Typical items included were cereal, soup, peanut butter, bread, amongst many other non-perishable staples. These bags were delivered to each child's classroom to take home each Friday. Before longer school breaks, families could expect to additional items, as well as seasonal treats.

Backpack Friends transitioned to Teller Pantry Friends at the beginning of the 2023-24 school year.  This transition was made to allow families free choice in "shopping" for themselves to select what living essentials they needed to support their children, thereby increasing their dignity and strengthening the Teller community.