Food Bank of the Rockies

Food Bank of the Rockies is the largest hunger-relief organization in the Rocky Mountain region. Since 1978, we’ve put the power of community to work for our neighbors in need. Through partnerships. Through programs. Through people. Through you. Everything we do is fueled by the support of our community and donors, and 96 cents of every dollar goes directly to distribution. With support from our community, we distribute enough food daily for over 180,000 meals. For more information: foodbankrockies.org.

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Executive leadership engaged in a multi-day, leadership coaching series as a group along with one-on-one trainings with a leadership development facilitator. In addition, managers had the opportunity to attend leadership trainings. Beyond leadership coaching, staff members had the opportunity to take part in public speaking and media trainings.

Partnerships are essential for accomplishing our mission. By collaborating strategically with a network of 800+ Hunger Relief Partners (including nonprofit, government, and private sector organizations), we are able to work together to distribute food equitably across our 53-county service area. We also take part in coalitions with partners to ensure we are meeting common goals. We participate in conferences and share research and best practices through our network. We provide training and capacity-building opportunities for Hunger Relief Partners regularly, and we have partner townhalls and conduct listening tours to see what else we can do to be the best community partner possible. We maintain a blog and regularly share stories to highlight our mission across our website and social media. As a member of Feeding Colorado, we set an annual policy agenda and advocate with legislators for key policies impacting hunger in our communities and take part in legislative hearings.

Following another year of unpredictability and uncertainty caused by COVID-19, the need for food assistance has remained higher than pre-COVID levels. In fiscal year 2021, we distributed over 110 million pounds of food — a 34.5% increase over the previous year. There were several factors contributing to this rise in need, including the high unemployment rate and the increase in price for basic goods like gas, diapers, and groceries. To meet this need, we are: - Purchasing more food than ever — spending nearly $1 million every month, more than triple our food purchasing budget from just two years ago - Adding new programs like FRESH, dedicated to providing raw fruits and vegetables at no cost to our 800+ Hunger Relief Partners - Expanding our Culturally Responsive Food Initiative, which provides culturally respectful foods such as pinto beans; teff, masa, and Blue Bird flour; and mung beans to the diverse communities we serve - Increasing the reach of our Mobile Pantry program, home deliveries of EverGreen Boxes™, and support to Hunger Relief Partners - Joining fellow hunger-relief organizations in advocating for better access to federal nutrition programs and providing education so that critical food assistance can reach those in need with fewer barriers All of these initiatives align with Food Bank of the Rockies’ recent rebranding. More than just a new look, our rebranding embodies our mission to ignite the power of community to nourish people facing hunger. We do this through our programs, partners, volunteers, staff, and generous donors throughout Colorado and Wyoming.