June 11th, 2009 - Denver Foundation supportd Weld County emergency feeding
January 20th, 2009 - Local Food Solicitor Named 2008 Hunger Champion
Denver Foundation supports Weld County emergency feeding
June 11th, 2009 – With Weld County unemployment at 8.2% many members of our community are struggling with being able to purchase healthy and nutritious food. The Critical Needs Fund through The Denver Foundation is being mobilized to provide one-time small grants to nonprofit organizations that provide direct services to very low-income clients to alleviate hunger throughout the state of Colorado. This week Weld Food Bank and eleven of its partner nonprofit agencies in Weld County were awarded a total of $16,500 to provide short-term support of their emergency feeding programs.
The Critical Needs Fund seeks to provide short-term support to organizations that have been impacted by rising levels of demand for food, but whose donations have not kept pace with the demand. Priority was given to those that support families, children and senior citizens. These grants are for the purpose of obtaining food.
Weld Food Bank staff gathered information from 11 partner agencies and submitted a combined request for funding. This coordination proved successful and Weld Food Bank was awarded funding to be shared as follows:
In Motion Ministries - $500
New Horizons Christian Church - $500
Abundant Life Tabernacle - $1,000
Carbon Valley Ministries - $1, 000
Lighthouse Mission - $1,000
Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church - $1,000
Waypoints Faith Community Church - $1,000
Windsor Food Pantry - $1,000
Fort Lupton Food and Clothing Bank - $1,500
Meals on Wheels of Greeley & Weld County - $2,000
St. Peter Roman Catholic Church - $2,000
Weld Food Bank - $4,000
Weld Food Bank is very grateful for the support of The Denver Foundation to feed the hungry in Weld County. To learn more about Weld Food Bank, its partner agencies and its mission to lead and engage our community in the fight against hunger visit www.weldfoodbank.org.
Local Food Solicitor Named 2008 Hunger Champion
January 20th, 2009 – Rick Cramer, food solicitor for Weld Food Bank, received the 2008 Hunger Champion Award presented by the Colorado Anti-hunger Network (CAN) Friday morning in Denver. This award is presented to individuals/organizations because they have exemplified outstanding leadership in alleviating hunger or have made a significant impact in the fight against hunger and its roots causes.
Cramer has worked as the food solicitor for Weld Food Bank for nearly three years. During this time he has steeply increased the amount of nutritious food coming into Weld Food Bank and into the statewide food bank network.
Rick worked with Colorado Premium and acquired seven semi loads of frozen corned beef brisket. The 276,844 pounds of quality meat was shared within the Colorado Food Bank Association and was available to agencies statewide. In addition several loads were also shared with food banks in Virginia, Maryland and New Jersey.
With the high cost of diesel fuel and the value added charges being placed on donations, the cost of bringing in fresh produce was getting prohibitive. Cramer worked with local producers, Feeding America and a cluster of food banks (Care & Share; Community Food Share; Food Bank for Larimer County; Weld Food Bank) and was able acquire 173,066 pounds of produce to be shared. This creative work resulted in 80,000 pounds of carrots; 61,600 pounds of cabbage; 20,000 pounds of onions and 11,466 pounds of green beans that were made available to partner agencies and individual families throughout a large portion of Colorado.
Cramer has also increased the amount of meat donated to Weld Food Bank. He worked with local ranchers to donate whole animals which are then processed and we are able to distribute nutritious protein through our 119 agency partners.
Since starting in this position Cramer has had tremendous success at food donor acquisition and retention. With the huge decrease in non-perishable foods being available, the hungry of Colorado are benefiting from his creativity and hard work.
