Teller Pantry Friends

Current statistics indicate 1 in 7 children in Colorado are experiencing food insecurity. Children cannot learn if they are hungry and we're here to make sure that doesn't happen.

Mission

Teller Pantry Friends is dedicated to providing living essentials to students, their families as well as staff at Teller Elementary, a public school located in the heart of Denver. 

Background Statement

We believe everyone should have access to nutritious food along with personal care items and basic cleaning supplies. Everything in our bodega-style pantry is always free, no questions asked! 

Our pantry provides a free-choice shopping experience, with a goal to increase the pride and dignity of everyone we serve. We believe 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 those they interact with every day at school - their friends, teachers, friends' parents 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.