There’s a lot on the horizon for the Nederland Food Pantry (NFP). The pantry, Community Gardens, and the Clothing Closet – while the community that they serve has grown, they have also seen their efforts energized, their production increased, and have made a three-year commitment to a new location.
The Peak to Peak area is home to many experiencing poverty to some extent, and as rent and the cost of food continue to exceed cost of living increases in salaries, those earning below national average can experience food insecurity and some may even become unhoused.
But just as food banks across the country are seeing a rise in their served communities’ populations and to the amount of food delivered to those communities, they’re also experiencing a surge in harvest and in donations.
Just this August, NFP served a total of 1,058 individuals, harvested 186 pounds of produce from their gardens, and received 908 pounds of donated food. They also collected 158 cereal boxes and $378.24, raised in the Love Your Neighbor Cereal Drive organized by the Nederland Community Presbyterian Church.
This outpouring of community support emboldens the volunteers at the nonprofit to continue their efforts in carrying forth the NFP’s mission: to relieve hunger and provide basic needs support to the Peak to Peak Community.
And in much the same vein, the opportunity to enter into a three-year lease at 196 West 1st Street allows NFP to continue their mission not merely unhindered, but bolstered. While the inevitable reconstruction of their previous home in the old West Wing of the Nederland Community Center slightly altered the flow of the Pantry’s operations, the move to their new location provides a stable foundation for the organization.
Over the course of four days, the contents of the Pantry and Clothing Closet were moved in shifts by NFP Board members and volunteers – from heavy equipment, to shelving units, to everything to be stored on those shelves. Refrigerators and freezers were scrubbed down and sanitized, while crates upon crates of food and various necessities were stored in their rightful places.
Clothes and shoes from the Clothing Closet’s operation at the Community Center were bagged right off of the racks, packed into trucks and vans, and taken on a quick ride down Highway 72 to the new location, to be unpacked and put back on the rack again.
Building 1, on the left side of the property, is the new home for the pantry; straight ahead on the property is Building 2, which holds the administrative offices. Building 3 on the right is the new home for the clothing closet.
A garden is being discussed for the property, though anything that is constructed must be done so under the provision that it can easily be removed in three years. A generator is also being sought for the NFP’s new location.
Additionally, NFP is accepting donations through ColoradoGives for an indoor growing system and an outdoor walk-in cooler.
For more information go to: https://www.coloradogives.org/story/Nkbz1g and https://www.coloradogives.org/story/6o7r3f.
With thanks to the many volunteers who dedicated their time, and to property owner Christian Vanek for his generosity, the NFP is now open for business in their new location, ready to continue to serve those in need across the Peak to Peak.
The Nederland Food Pantry is located at 196 West 1st Street and is open Tuesdays, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to noon. For more information go to: https://www.nederlandfoodpantry.org.
If you or someone you know is experiencing a food emergency after operating hours, call 720-418-0892 for assistance.
