Food Bank
Date posted: 02/26/2009
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The Food Bank for Larimer County is the only food bank in Larimer County. Food Bank reduces hunger by distributing 6 million pounds of food annually through three primary programs: Food Link, Kids Café, and Food Share.
Food Link provides more than 1 million pounds of food annually to approximately 70 partner agencies which operate 150 different programs feeding the hungry in soup kitchens, shelters, and residential programs. Some of the agencies using Food Link are Vineyard Resource Center, House of Neighborly Service, and Crossroads Safehouse.
Kids Café provides free nutritious evening meals to children during the school year at locations in Fort Collins, Loveland, and Wellington, such as the Boys & Girls Club and the Northside Aztlan Community Center. During the summer months, Kids Café provides free breakfast and lunch to low-income children throughout the community.
Food Share is a direct service, client choice food pantry with locations in Loveland and Fort Collins serving individuals with income levels below 185% of the federal poverty level. Clients are allowed to visit the Food Bank up to 2 times per week and can choose from bread, dairy products, fresh fruits and vegetables, and other non-perishable food items.
Although the Food Bank for Larimer County has seen a steady increase in the number of individuals requiring food assistance through all its programs, it has not yet had to reduce the amount of food distributed. This is due to recent expansions in the King Soopers and Wal-Mart retail pick-up programs.
What this chart shows: Annual Number of Unique Individuals Served at Food Bank for Larimer County in Fort Collins & Loveland, 2006-08
Data Source: Food Bank for Larimer County
What these data tell us:
From 2006 to 2008, the number of people receiving food from the Food Bank increased by 25%. The individuals using the Food Share pantries made more than 130,000 visits in 2008. As the number of individuals using Food Share has increased, so has the number of children being served, from 46% in 2006 to 53% in 2008.Some of the increase in use may be attributed to the opening of a 2nd Food Share pantry in Loveland in November 2006.
What this chart shows: Monthly Number of Unique Individuals Served at Food Bank for Larimer County in Fort Collins & Loveland, July 2008 - January 2009
Data Source: Food Bank for Larimer County
What these data tell us:
The Food Bank has continued to see a steady increase in demand since the beginning of the 2008-09 fiscal year. Between July 2008 and November 2008, the number of individuals using the Food Share pantries has increased 21%. Between September 1, 2008 and November 30, 2008, the Food Bank for Larimer County registered 604 new families.Rising unemployment, underemployment, cost of food and housing have all contributed to the increased demand for food relief.
What this chart shows: Number of Meals Served at Kids Café, 2006-2008
Data Source: Food Bank for Larimer County
What these data tell us:
Between 2006 and 2008, the number of meals served to low-income children through Kids Café increased by 48%. The Kids Café program serves approximately 8,000 meals during the summer months and between 4,500 and 5,000 meals each month during the school year.Additional Information:
On Compass -
- Affordable Rental Costs
- Childcare Assistance Program (CCAP)
- Food Stamps
- Home Ownership/Affordable Housing
- Homelessness
- Income by Racial Classification
- Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP)
- Median Family Income
- Per Capita Personal Income
- Poverty
- Reduced/Free School Lunches
- Self-Sufficient Income
- Subsidized Housing
- Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)
Outside Compass -
- Colorado Department of Human Services Food Assistance Program
- Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute/ The Self-Sufficiency Standard for Colorado 2008: A Family Needs Budget - this report, produced by the Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute, uses the Self-Sufficiency Standard to calculate the income needed by families in each Colorado county to meet basic needs without public or private assistance.
- Federal Poverty Guidelines
- Feeding America is the nation's largest charitable hunger relief organization.
- Food Research and Action Center is a nonprofit and nonpartisan research and public policy center working to improve public policies to eradicate hunger and under-nutrition in the United States.
- Larimer County Department of Human Services - Basic Assistance Programs
- MDRC - Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation is a non-profit, social policy research organization publishes numerous reports about family self-sufficiency issues.
- United States Department of Agriculture - Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services section.
Standards or Targets: N/A
Data Tables:
Annual Number of Unique Individuals Served at Food Bank for Larimer County
|
Individuals Served (Fort Collins & Loveland) |
% Increase |
|
|
2006 |
19,266 |
|
|
2007 |
32,373 |
10.9% |
|
2008 |
24,089 |
12.7% |
Monthly Number of Unique Individuals Served at
Food Bank for Larimer County
|
Individuals Served (Fort Collins & Loveland) |
% Increase |
|
|
July 2008 |
9,267 |
|
|
August 2008 |
9,824 |
6.0% |
|
September 2008 |
10,548 |
7.4% |
|
October 2008 |
11,126 |
5.5% |
|
November 2008 |
11,225 |
0.9% |
|
December 2008 |
10,376 |
-7.6% |
|
January 2009 |
11,648 |
12.3% |
Number of Meals Served at Kids Cafe
|
# of Meals |
% Increase |
|
|
2006 |
55,952 |
|
|
2007 |
46,333 |
22.3% |
|
2008 |
37,877 |
20.8% |