LIFT-UP serves households from Parachute to Aspen, operating six food pantries and offering various mobile pantries to underserved locations. Since 2020, LIFT-UP has increased their food distribution by 600%. Unfortunately, the number of clients LIFT-UP serves continues to climb, with families juggling various needs and high costs of living. To increase operating efficiencies and better meet needs, LIFT-UP secured a centrally located multi-use facility in Glenwood Springs, where food can be distributed to their pantries to the west and south. Generous donors of our Community Foundation have provided over $100,000 in funding to LIFT-UP for their new space and they continue to fundraise to bring their dreams for the facility to reality.
With the Glenwood Springs facility, Ivan Jackson, LIFT-UP’s Director, is striving to not only streamline operations, but wants to better serve farmers who are growing foods that LIFT-UP distributes. LIFT-UP developed a thriving Farm to Food Pantry (F2FP) program four years ago, contracting with over 30 farmers on the Western Slope to purchase fresh produce for their pantries. Farmers receive the funding commitment from LIFT-UP needed to hire staff to grow and harvest crops, while households benefit from increased access to fresh, nutritious foods. The Glenwood Springs facility currently serves as their food distribution warehouse, while also housing a thrift store. The goal of the capital campaign is to activate the facility with the addition of a food pantry, a commercial kitchen, a food processing area and storage for farmers to keep their crops during harvest season when growers can often find themselves overwhelmed with any one product.
For more information see this Sopris Sun article here: facility/
