Denver Metro Emergency Food Network Raises 750k Since March

A coalition of Denver local businesses and non-profit organizations have raised $750,000 and fed more than 326,000 low-income families and elderly community members since March.

Denver Metro Emergency Food Network (DMEFN), a coalition between Lost City, Bondadosa, Focus Points Family Resource Center, and Denver Food Rescue, is proud to conclude its initial community outreach efforts, in partnership with the Colorado Restaurant Response, who also raised significant funding.

DMEFN was swiftly created in response to the economic and social challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic for thousands of Denver residents. The organization, which launched on March 18, had an initial goal to deliver 10,000 meals, but this number was quickly surpassed to meet the growing needs of the community.

“The COVID pandemic pushed food insecurity to the forefront of everyone’s mind,” says Christine Alford, executive director of Denver Food Rescue.

“DMEFN was able to cohesively collaborate to serve the needs of those whose experiences often go unheard and underserved. We built authentic relationships with the community, used integration of feedback to equitably, and inclusively deliver more than 326,000 meals.”

In order to prepare and deliver thousands of meals per week while keeping staff, volunteers, and food recipients safe from infection, DMEFN strove to follow health official’s guidelines, including proper social distancing, and began partnering with the Colorado Restaurant Response.

Denver Metro Emergency Food Network’s efforts were also made possible through the support of more than 75 restaurants and partner organizations which donated ingredients and other supplies to the cause. Generous donations of sanitizer from local distilleries helped make the operation as safe as possible. A list of all supporting partners can be found here.

“We could not have done this without the support and trust of the community. We will continue to work with communities and uplift the voices of those experiences we seek to address,” Alford says.

The Denver Metro Emergency Food Network founding organizations will return to focusing on their core missions, many of which support the ongoing fight against food insecurity, while keeping a pulse on the changing impacts the pandemic creates for Denver residents. The organizations are ready to reconvene and determine the best ways to support the community moving forward if/when necessary.