WHAT IS CARE AND SHARE?
Serving our community since 1972, Care and Share Food Bank has grown from an all-volunteer-led organization working out of a garage, to the sole food bank in southern Colorado serving 47,000 square miles. It was founded by a woman with a huge heart to help those around her.
"In 1972 Sister Dominique Pisciotta from Pueblo recognizes that there's a need in the community, organizes the downtown churches and starts with one pickup truck and a garage and starts helping people," said Care and Share CEO Nate Springer. "That went from the power of one woman, the idea of one woman to help her community, to an organization that helps half the state of Colorado and 289 food pantries and other partner agencies in the state."
Feeding people in our community is a day in and day out challenge. You need a large warehouse to supply meals to families who need it most and thousands of volunteers to help get that food out of the warehouse. Care and Share's warehouse on the east side of Colorado Springs is 55,000 square feet. Six thousand volunteers help gather, sort, and distribute the food. Read more about how Care and Share works here.
Something important to know about Care and Share is they are not a food pantry. They are a non-profit that distributes their food to 289 food pantries across our region at no cost. Find food near you here.
The team at Care and Share believes no one should go hungry. But the reality is, one in nine people faces hunger in southern Colorado. Care and Share knows solving hunger can never be done, but they make every effort to put healthy food on tables across our area for families in need. In 2023 alone, Care and Share provided 21 million meals and 25 million pounds of food to southern Colorado. I talked with Care and Share's CEO Nate Springer about just how many people that serves and how the need for food will never go away.
"When you see this amount of food in this facility it's overwhelming," said Springer. "You're really proud but there is also some real sadness to it that takes this amount of food to support only half the state of Colorado. But we are so proud to be able to support our partner agencies every year. Over 280,000 people walk through one of those partner agencies at least one time. I would say the caveat to it is so many of the people we are helping have to go more than once, so its a massive scale. I'm just so proud to be part of the organization because of the difference it has made in the last 50 years in southern Colorado."
Care and Share is part of Feeding America, a nationwide organization that partners with food banks and pantries. Feeding America gives Care and Share canned foods to distribute across the state. That's why the team at Care and Share never wants to the shelves at the warehouse full. They want to get food out as quickly as it comes in. While canned and non-perishable foods are essential to food banks, Springer says they have also started to focus more on fresh produce.
"Eighty percent of the food that leaves this facility is healthy, nutritious by USDA standards," Springer said. "Our partner agencies asked us years ago to do better with produce, and so we've really gotten a lot more produce into into the system. We push produce to our partner agencies. So they kind of tell us what they want. Our job is to get it in here as quickly as we can and then get it out to them so that stays fresh and it goes to the neighbors that we're serving."
DEMOGRAPHICS
There are no stereotypes at Care and Share. Every demographic uses the food bank. From active duty soldiers, to teachers and hospital workers, everyone needs the help they give. Springer talked with me about how that perspective was really eye opening for him.
"Food insecurity has little to do with food," said Springer. "The price of food has gone up since 2020. Everybody knows that when they go to the grocery store. But when you think of so many people, individuals and families, that are on the threshold, they're trying to make it month to month, and then something changes. Utilities go up, their rent goes up, gas prices go up, and they cross the threshold into need. Right now, I would say that in southern Colorado, across our state, and really the nation, the easiest thing to do to supplement income is to supplement that income through groceries. You can either purchase less groceries, or you can come to a food pantry and get some of those groceries for free so you can pay those fixed costs."
MOBILE FOOD PANTRY
When people cannot get to food pantries in our area, Care and Share comes to them. Their mobile food pantry program serves more than 1200 people every month at 27 locations. The pantry is often sent to rural areas or low-income senior living apartments. One of those sites is at the Oakshire Trail Apartments in Pueblo.
Ron Cook spends a lot of time making sure the mobile food pantry there looks like a farmers market.
"We have eggs, we've got canned goods, and we've got a lot of produce," Cook said.
Anyone who shows up has a choice about what they want and how much.
"I've had people come and ask me how much it costs," said Cook. "I say, 'It's free.'"
After three years as the manager of the mobile market program, Cook believes it is nourishing both body and spirit.
"It makes people feel good," said Cook. "They have a sense of community when they come down here. Everybody's just kind of in a good mood and there is music playing."
The goal is to get the refrigerated truck to people without access to healthy food or the money to pay for it.
I am so blessed that they do this for us," said neighbor Rosie Ferris. "I know it's not just for seniors, but you know, as seniors, we live on a fixed income, whether it's social security or your pension or whatever it is."
Ferris says the mobile food pantry saves her about $75 each time it shows up.
"They have good vegetables, and we get stuff that I probably wouldn't normally buy because sometimes it's too expensive at the store," Ferris said.
"The food truck is lovely," said neighbor Rainey Merritt. "Everybody looks forward for them to come."
Merritt says the food given out at the mobile food pantry is often better than what she can find at the grocery store.
"This is all farm fresh stuff that you would have to go out to the farm to get," she said.
Part of the food on the mobile food pantry truck is from about a dozen local farms Care and Share partners with directly. The food also sometimes comes through the non-profit's food rescue program, which helps to make sure no food is wasted.
"We have guys that go around to different grocery stores and they pick up food that's about to go to the trash," Cook said. "Then we take that and give that to people as quickly as we can, so that it goes to people instead of the pig farmer. We do have a pig farmer that picks up any spoilage that we have so we can still continue to reuse it."
And until no one in our community goes hungry, the mobile food pantry will be out on the road making sure anyone in need of nutritious food gets it.
"If you can help somebody and be happy, why not," said volunteer Lori Cordova. "It's easy."
To find out when the next mobile food pantry will show up in your community click here.
NO-COST GROCERY STORES
The food pantries at Crossfire Ministries and Solid Rock Community Food Center are set up like any other grocery store. The difference is everything is free.
"With gas prices, the utility prices going up, the rent prices going up, this really helps," said Solid Rock Community Food Center client Sabina Collins.
"We already receive help from the state, and there's times that just fall through the cracks," said Crossfire Ministries client Elizabeth Fuentes. "We're able to come in here and supplement that. It really helps my kids out and it's a safe place to come in. They can come and choose the food with me."
That choice is a critical part of the mission of both non-profits.
"When you give people choice, you give them their dignity," said Solid Rock Community Food Center Food Service Manager Yevgeniya Tsyganok. "By them choosing the options they eat, not just like here's a random box this is what you have to eat, we transitioned away from that so they could pick what they want. They don't have to get everything. That way they can cook the healthy food options they want if they need it."
"They might find themselves in a hard spot, and they just need to feel normal," said Crossfire Ministries Executive Director Renee Beebe. "They just need to feel like they can go in here and navigate their own grocery experience just like you or I."
Part of that is making sure there is as much healthy food available as possible.
"You get a meat, they have canned goods, they have fresh vegetables squash, corn, jalapenos, peppers, tomatoes, onions, potatoes," said Collins.
Ninety percent of the food given away is provided by Care and Share.
"It's free for us, which is great, because we're able to spend money with local farmers to buy the other 10% of food that we can get there," said Tsyganok.
Without that free food, neither charity would be able to take care of the basic needs of many people in our community. At Solid Rock that number is about 3000 a month. At Crossfire Ministries that number is about 6800 a month, numbers they say continue to grow as volunteers and staff standby ready to help.
"It's a hand up, not a handout, because we all need that hand up right now with inflation," Tsyganok said. "Grocery prices have doubled over the last four years. It's a good thing that we could help people not having to choose between food and electrical bill."
"We're just so grateful because it is lessening that stress for them," said Beebe. "They can go home and not have to worry about what's going to be on the dinner table. So we're just overjoyed and just so blessed to be able to be a part of their family and a part of their story and their life."
The no-cost grocery store at Crossfire Ministries is located at 3975 North Academy Boulevard, Colorado Springs, CO 80917. For more information click here.
The Community Food Center at Solid Rock Community Development Corporation is located at 3219 S. Academy Boulevard, Colorado Springs, CO 80916. For more information click here.
SCHOOL FOOD PANTRIES
School pick up outside of Minnequa Elementary School in Pueblo is often filled with free food giveaways.
"They do it about 45 minutes before school gets out," said parent Savanna Spry. "They send a text message to the parents, 'Hey, we're having a food bank. Stop by.' You come and get your stuff and once the kids get out of school, they can all go grab stuff, too."
Inside the school is a food pantry. All of the food in that pantry is provided by Care and Share.
"We get to take food home," said fifth grade student Eliseo Giroux. "Sometimes they get boxes for us and we get to take food home."
Kathy McDowell is the parent advocate who has been running the school's pantry for three years.
"We try to help, said McDowell as she holds back tears knowing the personal stories of many of the students she helps. "We try to remove any barriers that our families have. We had some sad stories, but we try to overcome and teach the kids that we're going to take care of them. They're family."
Families and kids can come in anytime for food.
"They can basically shop for anything they need," McDowell said. "Some people will do that, and some people won't. It's easier to get the kids to get the food when you know there's a need."
Students often leave with some extra items McDowell puts into their backpacks.
"Sometimes hygiene stuff like deodorant, perfume, hand sanitizer, lotion," said fourth grader Elizabeth Duran.
It's helping to fill a void that for many families at Minnequa is desperately needed.
"We have families that are unhoused," said McDowell. "There's just a huge need for food, clothes, any essential things that you and I might have they don't. We try to help them with all of that."
At Coronado High School in Colorado Springs, those same items are given away at a corner market in their school.
"We don't want a student sitting in a class that can't take notes," said teacher Brent Urban. "If there's anything we can do to stand in the gap and even make sure that that student has food at home, we want to make sure that we fully allow them the opportunity to engage in their education and grow as much as they possibly can."
Urban has been leading the Cougars Care program at Coronado for the last 20 years. He guides the students who run the market through his class called Leadership for Non-Profits. Care and Share helps, too, by teaching students how to set up the market to encourage healthy eating.
"We try to make sure that when they first walk through the door the first thing they see is the peppers and the carrots and all of that," said sophomore Skylar Corbett as she describes what she learned from the training from Care and Share.
Perhaps one of the most important lessons they learn is about dignity.
"Everybody needs help," said junior Jayden Phelps. "Everybody struggles at some point, whether it's financially and just in general, everybody has a struggle."
Cougars Care Corner Market at Coronado High School in Colorado Springs is open to students during regular school hours. Everything is free. It is open to the community every Thursday from 3:15 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.. For more information click here.
The pantry at Minnequa Elementary in Pueblo is located at 1708 East Orman Avenue. It is open to students and the public Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
WHO IS CEO NATE SPRINGER?
What does it take to run and organization like Care and Share? First and foremost, you need someone with an endless amount of passion for helping others. That is what CEO Nate Springer has.
Springer was the Garrison Commander at Fort Carson from 2020 to 2022. He served in the Army for 23 years before retiring and taking the job at Care and Share.
At Fort Carson, he helped families in need, too. He oversaw new housing for lower enlisted soldiers and families.
Springer said running an organization like Care and Share felt like the natural next step for him.
"I've gotten the honor of getting to be part of organizations that are bigger than any one individual and Care and Share is no different, "Springer said. "When you think of what it takes with the volunteers, the employees, the partner agencies, the donors of Care and Share and what it takes to put this product together to help so many people across the state, this organization is so much bigger than any one of us. It's just a real honor to get to be here."
DONATE TO CARE AND SHARE
As much as Care and Share provides for our community, they can't do it without your help. One $50 donation can provide 200 meals for your neighbors. A $100 dollar donation can provide 400 meals. Click here to donate.
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