To place an audio ad here, call 303-810-5409.
EASY LOADING: Food pantry coordinator Corinne Keller shows off the new food pantry truck’s customized sliding rack feature. The racks can hold 1,400 pounds of food and make loading and unloading easy.
Gilpin County Commissioners received a 2023 Ford F150 from Colorado Community Health Alliance (CCHA) at the Gilpin Food Pantry on June 6, 2024, unveiling the newest vehicle in the county’s fleet.
The truck, which has 1,100 miles on it and is equipped with a customized rack in the back, will be used to collect and deliver supplies for the Gilpin Food Pantry.
CCHA is a partner with Medicaid and provides grant funding to help alleviate food insecurity in the county, and hunger and food insecurity have been identified as major concerns in the county according to results from the Gilpin County Community Health Survey.
Gilpin County commissioners unanimously approved receiving the grant and truck at their meeting March 12. Resolution 24-59 states commissioners will approve receiving the grant money provided by CCHA to purchase a vehicle for the food pantry in an amount not to exceed $55,000. CCHA paid $50,000 for the truck and used the remaining funds to make customizations such as signage.
The truck was paid for in full through grant funding, but annual insurance and maintenance costs, estimated at about $4,000, will be covered by the county.
Commissioner Sandy Hollingsworth, CCHA President Taylor Aurioles, Commissioner Marie Monis, Food Pantry Coordinator Collin Keller and Commissioner Susan Berumen stand in front of the new food pantry truck.
A key feature of the new trucks is a customized sliding rack that allows volunteers and county employees to load and unload the truck without having to crawl into the back of the truck. The rack can hold up to 1,400 pounds of food.
Food pantry supervisor Jennifer Josselyn said the truck will be used by county staff to get food from the Food Bank of the Rockies and other sources. The food pantry also plans to use the truck as a “pop-up” market in Rollinsville about once a quarter.
The Human Services main webpage on the Gilpin County website has more information about the food pantry. For information about volunteering with the food pantry, contact Corinne Keller at 720-432-610 or CKeller@gilpincounty.org. To get additional information on this subject, use the internet search term “How food banks fight hunger around the world.”
