This week noticed a number of native meals nonprofits being highlighted within the information. On Monday, Colorado Public Radio’s considerate and clever senior host and editor for Colorado Issues, Ryan Warner, joined me on the new seventh St. Group Cafe. Chances are you’ll recall that final yr when Warner was on the town we had a good time recording a radio program on the scrumptious restaurant, A&M Creations in downtown Delta.
So once I realized that Warner was going to be right here to showcase quite a lot of topics, educate Colorado Mesa College communication college students and interview Governor Polis on the Asteria Theatre about points vital to western Colorado, I reached out to counsel we go to the brand new seventh St. Group Cafe in Grand Junction. He agreed and we had a beautiful time with Govt Director, Alisha Wenger, and Culinary and Meals Programs Director, chef Kaye Davis, on the cafe. It was very fascinating to observe a radio program being produced. He and chef Davis had enjoyable not solely speaking about her background in farming and the culinary world, but additionally recording kitchen noises comparable to clanking pots and pans, the dishwasher, and extra!
Warner and Wenger had an in-depth dialog about her background, the wants of individuals within the valley, and what they’re making an attempt to do with the cafe together with the Group Meals Financial institution. This cafe is positioned throughout the road from St. Mary’s Hospital at 2232 N. seventh St. and options quite a lot of tasty and wholesome meals. Their Santa Fe turkey sandwich continues to be their greatest vendor and their different large vendor was a shock to them – vegan tempeh bacon! Yow will discover contemporary salads, soups, quiche and extra at this pleasant place.
To view their menu and study their progressive concepts, go to the Group Meals Financial institution’s web site at www.foodbankgj.org. Wenger informed me, “Previously yr we distributed practically a million kilos of nutritious meals to nearly 12,000 distinctive folks residing in our group — that’s round 8% of the whole county inhabitants we’re nourishing regularly. Lower than 2% of these of us determine as unhoused. We’re an enormous social security internet retaining folks afloat, and dealing upstream to mitigate well being and financial points which can be a lot tougher to handle down the road.”
Colorado Public Radio’s program that includes them can be airing within the subsequent few weeks. I believe it’s going to be distinctive and I used to be so impressed with Warner, his kindness, and his means to ask fascinating inquiries to get to the center of the matter.
The next day, Governor Jared Polis arrived in Grand Junction and I met with him on the Meals Financial institution of the Rockies. Whereas there, he toured the spectacular services, heard the sobering statistics about meals insecurity in Mesa County, signed a proclamation about Meals Motion Day, and even noticed peaches being dehydrated as a part of a 17 hour course of. (Dehydrating seconds and “imperfect” fruit comparable to peaches and apples is a great approach to additional remove meals waste. The seventh St. Group Cafe additionally dehydrates fruit and makes them into fruit leathers and different wholesome snacks.)
Our group impresses me with its creativity and onerous work wanted to assist counter rising meals insecurity. Each of those organizations – the Group Meals Financial institution and the Meals Financial institution of the Rockies – are nice nonprofits. One factor I’ve observed over time is that folks are inclined to suppose they’re the identical entity. They don’t seem to be and are positioned miles from one another. The Group Meals Financial institution is at 476 28 ½ Rd. and the Meals Financial institution of the Rockies is at 698 Lengthy Acre Dr. in Grand Junction. It serves 13 counties in western Colorado and companions with numerous businesses. Their web site is www.foodbankrockies.org and you’ll be taught extra particulars about their mission and all of the fantastic issues they’re doing to assist folks.
As well as, the terrific program, Meals on Wheels, shares a constructing with the Meals Financial institution of the Rockies and provides a each day sizzling lunch to seniors all through the valley Monday by Friday. I volunteered with them weekly for a yr in the course of the pandemic delivering meals and extremely advocate it. Discover out extra about volunteering and/or donating funds to them at www.mealsonwheelsmesacounty.org.
All of those organizations would love your assist. Contact them to learn to volunteer, donate produce out of your gardens and nonperishables from the shop, give cash, and many others. The wants of the folks round us are anticipated to proceed to rise within the coming years and I do know help can be very appreciated.
I had such a good time this week with all these wonderful folks! I stay up for extra meals alternatives with CPR’s Ryan Warner and Governor Jared Polis sooner or later. It’s actually an honor to shine mild on the folks and nonprofits working so onerous to assist ease starvation.
