A Season of Gratitude and Resolve
As we move through the holidays, our Western Slope team has been reflecting on the remarkable network of compassion that surrounds us. Each of you plays a vital role in supporting neighbors experiencing hunger, and it continues to be an honor to work alongside you.
Across our region, every part of our Food Bank community is giving their all. Programs staff are out in the field listening and learning alongside you. Volunteer Operations welcomes community members with generous hearts and ready hands. Our Inventory team works with care and speed to ensure nourishing food is ready to go, while Partner Logistics safely delivers it across mountain passes, back roads, and unpredictable Western Slope weather. Development continues securing the resources that make this work possible, and our dedicated volunteers show up again and again with kindness and steady commitment.
While the government shutdown has ended and SNAP is operational, we heard clearly how the sudden disruption created significant pressure for you and the neighbors you serve. We also recognize the continued strain from changes to SNAP eligibility and rising costs of living. Food Bank of the Rockies is here to support you. We will continue leveraging community generosity to provide additional food at no cost to our Hunger Relief Partner Network and respond to what we’re hearing from you, always centering dignity and respect. Please refer to our FAQ page as we navigate the SNAP emergency and this ongoing season of urgency.
This season brings new challenges, but also new opportunities to show what’s possible together. Many partners have shared the impact of rising need, and we feel that momentum too. Our Western Slope team is meeting it with optimism, resilience, and a deep belief in the strength of our community and the neighbors we serve. Through every challenge, please remember you are not alone. We’re here with you, for you, and for every neighbor who comes through your doors.
Wishing you peace, warmth, and moments of joy this holiday season.
Food Bank of the Rockies, Western Slope Team
Important Dates
Please refer to the to view important dates related to the move to the new facility.
Closures
- Thursday, December 25-Friday, December 26: Food Bank of the Rockies is closed for winter holidays
- Thursday, January 1-Friday, January 2: Food Bank of the Rockies is closed for the New Year
New Distribution Center
We’re so excited to announce that our Denver team has officially moved into their new facility, located at 20600 E. 38th Ave., Aurora, CO 80019. This facility represents a major step forward in our shared work to nourish communities across Colorado and Wyoming. With expanded capacity, improved efficiency, and new opportunities for smoother ordering and pick-ups, we’re ready to create an even stronger and more reliable experience for you and the neighbors you serve.
Please take a look at our Hunger Relief Partner Facility Guide, which outlines everything you need to know about the move.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact our Partner Solutions team at partnersolutions@foodbankrockies.org.
Google Search Results
You may notice a note on Google Maps that says “No onsite food pick-up” when searching for Food Bank of the Rockies. This message is not directed at Hunger Relief Partners. It is intended to help neighbors experiencing food insecurity connect with the nearest Hunger Relief Partner in our network. All Hunger Relief Partner pick-ups at our facility continue as scheduled.
Our new facility will include a small pantry opening in the spring. Until then, our Google listing will continue to display this note for neighbors seeking food assistance.
Culturally Responsive Food Initiative Update
Know Your Rights in Your Food Pantry
As we continue to stand alongside our partners and neighbors affected by recent ICE activity in local communities, Food Bank of the Rockies wants to ensure every person feels safe and welcome when accessing food and resources.
We encourage Hunger Relief Partners to be aware of the rights of neighbors experiencing food insecurity, volunteering and/or working in your organization to ensure you are supporting their basic rights.
To help your team and community stay informed, we invite you to review Know Your Rights: A Guide for Food Pantries (2025 Know Your Rights_ A Guide for Food Pantries.pdf), developed by Leah’s Pantry. This resource outlines key protections and best practices to help ensure the safety and dignity of our clients.
Every neighbor deserves to feel secure when accessing food. Together, we can help create welcoming spaces rooted in trust, compassion, and belonging.
Food Sourcing Update
SNAP Response
In response to the elevated need due to the SNAP benefit disruption, our Sourcing Team began bringing in incremental loads of food starting at the end of October. Between the end of October and mid-December, we brought in 129 full truckloads of dry, refrigerated, and frozen product, plus an additional 21 truckloads of produce. All items are available on Agency Express. Decisions of what items to bring in were based on partner feedback that our programs and sourcing teams have heard over the last year, focusing on frozen protein, fresh produce, and shelf-stable meal staples. We expect these incremental loads to continue through the end of January.
Holidays
The winter holiday season is upon us! After a successful Thanksgiving, we look forward to the end-of-year celebrations. For Christmas (12/25), we brought in smoked frozen hams. For Hanukkah (12/14-22), we have stocked yeast, olive oil, and frozen matzo meal. For Navidad (12/12-1/6), we have corn husks, masa, tortillas, dried ancho and arbol chiles, and dry beans. And, of course, we will also have fresh produce to complete neighbors’ holiday tables! For details on any of these holiday items, reach out to Becky Richardson at brichardson@foodbankrockies.org.
Partner Highlights
A Fall Evening of Connection: Outreach & Basic Needs Collaborative Event
On a crisp November evening at the Mesa County Fairgrounds, our community came together in one of the most heartfelt collaborations of the season. Food Bank of the Rockies joined hands with Mutual Aid Partners, Hilltop, the Grand Valley Coalition for the Homeless, and its Outreach and Basic Needs subcommittee to host a combined Mobile Pantry and Resource Fair, creating a welcoming space where neighbors could access nourishing food, essential supports, and genuine human connection.
This event brought together an incredible mix of organizations, each offering care in their own way. From winter clothing and handmade cold-weather gear, to housing referrals, to access to affordable health and behavioral health services, the fair offered a thoughtful variety of resources designed to meet whole-person needs. Our friends at Justice Necessary traveled from Denver to join us, piloting a new hygiene-focused program with several Western Slope partners. They crafted two distinct types of kits, one tailored for Mobile Pantry families and another designed for neighbors experiencing homelessness, ensuring everyone had dignified access to personal care supplies that fit their circumstances.
Throughout the evening, intentional safety planning kept things flowing for neighbors arriving both on foot and by vehicle. Pre-packed food bags and on-site liaisons made it simple for our houseless neighbors to receive pantry items without navigating vehicle traffic. The goal was simple: every person, no matter how they arrived, could access the same level of care, attention, and resources.
And of course, community isn’t community without something warm to share. Volunteers offered baked cinnamon apples that filled the air with the perfect autumn aroma, an unexpected treat that brought smiles to kids, adults, and older adults alike. The Scarf Project added an extra dose of cozy kindness with dozens of handmade scarves, hats, and mittens, all lovingly crafted and laid out so neighbors could pick items that felt just right for them.
By the end of this gorgeous fall night, over 300 households received nourishing food through the Mobile Pantry, and more than 238 individuals visited the resource fair. Those numbers tell part of the story, but the heart of the evening was the connection: partners working side-by-side, neighbors finding what they needed, and a shared sense of warmth that went far beyond the cinnamon apples.
Together, we created something special, another reminder of what’s possible when our community shows up for one another with care, dignity, and heart.