Photo courtesy of Food Bank of the Rockies
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) – Thousands of pounds of food will be distributed across Colorado thanks to a recent grant to Food Bank of the Rockies.
The food bank announced Monday that it received a $77,000 grant from the Bella and Joseph Dresner Foundation to purchase a 53-foot trailer. The Food Bank of the Rockies vehicle will deliver food from the Western Slope Etkin Family Distribution Center in Grand Junction to multiple hunger-relief partners and mobile food pantries in 13 counties across the state.
The food bank said it needs the trailers as Western Slope communities continue to need help with food insecurity. The organization noted that from December to February of last year, participation in its mobile pantries increased 190% compared to the same period last year. The number of people seeking food assistance has nearly tripled.
“This new trailer allows us to expand our capacity and provide even more fresh produce to our neighbors on the Western Slope,” Sue Ellen Lodwick, Food Bank of the Rockies Western Slope director, said in a press release. “We’re grateful to the Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation for supporting our mission, especially during this time when more individuals and families are turning to us and our network of hunger relief partners for help.”
The foundation has provided funding to the food bank since 2020 and has helped purchase and distribute more than 1 million pounds of fresh produce in the Aspen-Parachute Corridor and Denver County, according to the food bank.
Founded in 1978, Food Bank of the Rockies is the largest hunger relief organization in the Rocky Mountain region.
