Local area food pantries have been helping increasing numbers of individuals and families this year. The Gilpin Food Pantry, Nederland Food Pantry and the Loaves and Fishes nonprofit in Clear Creek County have all seen significant increases in people seeking food assistance over the summer. The primary cause seems to be inflation and macroeconomic conditions. Increases in food prices and housing costs are taking a larger percentage out of fixed or seasonal incomes, forcing more people to seek assistance for the first time.

The three organizations are organized and operate in similar ways but also have unique differences. They are all non-profit organizations that rely on volunteers to operate. All have some paid staff to coordinate activities. They all operate on grants and donations for the benefit of the community. Some of the donations are in the form of garden produce grown by Master Gardeners. They all act as portals to other government services like SNAP or LEAP to help people obtain intermediate and long-term assistance. None of the food pantries make people prove that they are hungry to receive assistance though some special services like the gas cards at the Nederland Food Pantry will have additional requirements.

Loaves and Fishes (loavesandfishesco.net) in Idaho Springs is open Thursday and Friday from noon to 4 p.m. The Managing Director of Loaves and Fishes, Rachel Josselyn, said that they serve 120 to 150 clients per week of which 5 to 10 are new clients. They are funded through grants and donations and are mainly supplied by Food Bank of the Rockies. They don’t have any dedicated gardens in Clear Creek County but get fresh produce from the Nederland Farmers Market. They also have a kitchen to provide hot meals on Fridays. Josselyn is amazed at the generosity of her community and feels privileged to be a part of Loaves and Fishes.

The Nederland Food Pantry (nederlandfoodpantry.org) has been operating since 1986 and according to their mission statement seeks to relieve hunger and provide basic needs in the Peak to Peak community in a respectful and compassionate manner. Board President, Adi Wabisabi, said that they are seeing levels of demand this year like the COVID pandemic in 2020. The pantry has a yearly operating budget of around $200,000 with about 100 volunteers and four paid staff members. They cultivate indoor and outdoor gardens and use grants dedicated to purchasing from local sources.

The pantry is open four days a week. They also offer a Clothing Closet for free clothes and monthly gas cards. The Nederland Food Pantry operates out of the west side of Nederland Community Center, but it is an old building with maintenance issues, so they are considering moving to a new location. Wabisabi said that the Nederland Food Pantry helps people receive stabilization services so that they can get some traction in their lives.

The Gilpin Food Pantry (gilpincounty.colorado.gov/departments-offices/human-services/food-pantry) is a part of the Gilpin County Human Services department. Demand has also increased in 2023 for them with over 4,000 visits through August. They are open one day a week (Thursday) from noon to 4 p.m. and have served over 80 clients per week several times in August and September.

Gilpin County government provides the location, furnishings, utilities, dumpsters, office supplies and staff who coordinate the 20 volunteers, purchase the food supplies, and help clients get signed up for institutional services. The Gilpin County Pantry relies on donations and grants to keep the pantry stocked. They also receive produce from the Gilpin County Community Garden that is tended by six Master Gardeners and purchase fresh produce from the Nederland Farmers Market. Food Bank of the Rockies provides the bulk of their purchases.

The current location of the Gilpin Food Pantry is an old trailer near the Community Center that needs about $100,000 in maintenance but there are plans to build a new facility in the same area where the old propane tanks used to be. The new building will be able to hold the freezers and refrigerators that are currently in the Justice Center so everything can be stored in one location. It will have a loading dock to handle truck deliveries and it will be connected to the Human Services servers so that applications for different services can be done on site. A kitchen for food prep and generators to keep the food in the refrigerators from spoiling during power outages are also being proposed.

The Gilpin Food Pantry volunteers have similar reasons for working at the Food Pantry. Roxy Goss said that she works hard to fight food insecurity in as many ways as she can. Jan Headrick said that she just likes helping people. Rickie Travis said he likes helping people in times of need and likes the people he works with. They are all working together on the same mission.

Hunger and food insecurity are a common and widespread problem around the world, but the Peak to Peak communities are supporting local food pantries through donations and volunteering so that there is a coordinated response to helping those in need.