COMMUNITY FOOD SHARE INC
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Mission Statement
Community Food Share’s mission is to be a leader in our community’s effort to end hunger in Boulder and Broomfield Counties. All food is distributed free of charge. In fiscal year 2015, we distributed more than 8 million meals. Our food distribution program casts the widest net via multiple distribution points, including a network of 40+ Member Agencies and our Direct Distribution programs. The Member Agencies represent almost all of the agencies that provide food assistance in our community, including food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, residential treatment homes, after school programs and emergency food box programs. Direct Distribution is for low-income seniors and families with children on school free lunch.
About This Cause
HISTORY OF ORGANIZATION In the early 1980s, hunger had not yet been identified as a community problem in Boulder County. It became clear that it was a pressing issue, as various non-profit leaders began comparing statistics about the needs of the people that they served. Community Food Share was founded in 1981, to address the growing problem of hunger in Boulder County (and later Broomfield County). We are a member of Feeding America (the largest domestic hunger-relief organization, with 200 member food banks nationwide) and Feeding Colorado (the five Colorado Feeding America food banks). These collaborative relationships enable us to acquire large amounts of nutritious donated food from local, regional, and national sources. In 2001 Community Food Share became one of the first Feeding America food banks to implement nutritional indexing (collecting and distributing food consistent with nutritional targets). Community Food Share's goal is to eliminate hunger and food insecurity in Boulder/ Broomfield Counties. All food is distributed free of charge. TARGET POPULATION SERVED While the image of Boulder and Broomfield Counties is one of affluence, nearly 50,000 are food insecure. The majority of those in need of food assistance are low-income working people, making poverty largely invisible. There are approximately 15,000 children enrolled in the School Free Lunch program in the Boulder Valley and St. Vrain Valley school districts. Along with poverty goes hunger and food insecurity—a constant struggle to put food on the table each and every day—and the daunting task of choosing to pay for rent, utilities, medical expenses, gas, or food. FOOD PROCUREMENT We receive donated food from local food industry donors, grocery stores, and farms. Through our partnership with Feeding America, we also acquire donated food from regional and national sources. Significant purchasing power enables us to also acquire food wholesale, in semi-truckload quantities, supplementing our inventory with nutritious, staple foods. FOOD DISTRIBUTION In fiscal year 2015, we distributed 7,537,784 meals. Most of our 40+ Member Agencies rely on Community Food Share to provide the majority of the food they distribute to those in need—seniors, disabled, youth, the increasing number of people who cannot find work, and many others. Together, we form an effective “safety-net” partnership to address increasing hunger and food insecurity in our community. Our Direct Distribution programs help to ensure that food is being distributed to a wide group of vulnerable populations. The programs include Feeding Families and Elder Share. Feeding Families is our largest Direct Distribution program. Through this program, we provide free nutritious food to families with children in the School Free Lunch programs in the Boulder Valley and St. Vrain Valley school districts. Feeding Families is unique in that it provides a “client-select” grocery store shopping experience, rather than providing pre-selected boxes of food. Typical foods included: fresh produce, milk and dairy products, frozen meats and prepared meals, pinto beans, rice, soups, baby food, and bakery items. Elder Share provides supplemental food to low-income seniors, to ensure adequate nutrition and to assist them in remaining independent. Groceries are distributed twice a month at eight congregate sites in the two counties. Volunteers deliver food to the home-bound. CRITERIA FOR MEASURING PROGRAM SUCCESS Quantitative and qualitative evaluation is built into our daily, monthly, and annual operations, and results are used for tracking, establishing benchmarks, and annual goal setting. How Impact is Measured Pounds procured and distributed are tracked monthly and compared to the previous year’s data. We compare output against internal goals as well as against Feeding America standards. Service upgrades are implemented from Member Agency annual survey feedback and from ongoing contact with our Direct Distribution clients. Key Evaluation Results We are ranked as one of the most effective, efficient, and innovative food banks in Feeding America’s network, and we are often used as a “best practices” model.