By Emily Stromquist, Executive Director
As summer winds down, Food for Hope is preparing for another busy school year serving thousands of students and families across our community. While many school-based programs pause during the summer months, our team remained hard at work supporting families through our in-school food pantries, which remained open through June. We also supported families through curated boxes in partnership with the Adams 12 Student Family Outreach Program at Mountain Range High School.
Summer provided additional opportunities to connect with the community through events such as Mudapalooza, the Eastlake Rail Yard summer concert series, Summer Solstice at The Orchards, Bubble Bash, and the 3W Races Unicorn Runner. These events helped raise awareness about food insecurity while bringing together supporters, volunteers, and families in a fun and meaningful way.
In July, our staff gathered for an annual retreat focused on planning for the year ahead. Together, we reviewed goals, strengthened our strategic plan, evaluated program growth, and mapped out ways to better serve students and families throughout the upcoming school year. We are thankful for our Sprout Corporate Sponsor, Blackhawk Horseshoe - Caesars, for helping to organize our rooms, meals, and more.
In the coming weeks, we are restocking food pantries, relaunching weekend food bags, and ramping up our School Fuel snack program. We will be expanding fresh food support for students and families facing food insecurity. As families continue to navigate rising grocery costs and ongoing SNAP benefit changes, school-based food programs remain an important resource for ensuring children have consistent access to nutritious food.
***DRUMROLL PLEASE!***We are excited to launch a community crowdfunding campaign for Little Clem, our new refrigerated delivery truck! While Big Sumo, our larger truck, helps transport thousands of pounds of food each week, Little Clem needs a lift gate to safely and efficiently move fresh foods to schools and community partners. This community-supported upgrade will help volunteers work more efficiently and allow us to deliver even more fresh food throughout the school year. Will you help outfit Little Clem with a new lift gate? We are trying to raise $12,000 in 4 weeks and any amount will help us reach the goal!
Looking ahead, Food for Hope is preparing for increased demand, expanding partnerships with schools, and beginning plans for our annual Feed 5000 Holiday Meal Box Program. Together, we are building a stronger, healthier community and ensuring students and families have the food they need to thrive.
Thank you for continuing to walk with us into our 12th school year!
