The Need

In Weld County, 1 in 4 people are hungry. For children, it’s 1 in 3. That equates to over 88,000 of our neighbors (26,000 children) who at some point this year will seek food assistance. Through our 8 direct service programs and over 70 nonprofit agency partners, we work to meet people where they are at to receive the food they need.

Who exactly does Weld Food Bank serve? The short answer: people like you and me. The term “working poor” is used often in the media but we see it firsthand. Nearly three quarters of the households we serve have at least one adult who is employed, retired or disabled. They are oil field workers, truck drivers, retired teachers and many other respectable professionals who are at a tough time in their life.

Common words shared by people we serve when asked what brought them to the food bank include “scarce,” “tight,” and “bad.” These terms are all used to describe their financial situation. When money is tight, food isn’t the only thing that families have to decide whether or not they can afford to buy. They have to decide if they can afford the medication they so desperately need, which usually has to be taken with food. Towards the end of the month they have to decide if they will be able to pay their rent or mortgage on time. When winter comes and heating costs rise, they have to decide whether they can afford to pay the utility bill. This continuous juggling act leads a majority of our families to buy the cheapest food available regardless of health when payday comes around.

For children specifically, hunger can make lifelong impacts on their well being. If a child does not get enough nutritious food, they fall behind physically, cognitively, academically, emotionally and socially. They, their families, our communities and our country suffer the life-long consequences of these reduced outcomes.

Weld Food Bank works to address this growing problem through the hard work of our staff, volunteers, and donors supporting our 8 direct service programs and over 70 nonprofit agency partners.