Panera Bread strives to support community programs that reflect our core values and serve as a vehicle for outreach and support. In the Denver, Colorado Springs and Fort Collins metro areas, we are partnered with the Food Bank of the Rockies, Community Food Share and Care & Share Food Bank in giving back to our community.
FOOD BANK OF THE ROCKIES
Food Bank of the Rockies (FBR) was founded in 1978 and was known as the Colorado Food Clearing House. Operating from a 900-square-foot schoolroom in northwest Denver, the fledgling organization collected food from nearby Safeway stores and distributed it to one agency.
Today, FBR has extended its reach across Northern Colorado and Wyoming, providing food supplies to more than 1100 hunger-relief programs. In its first 30 years, FBR has provided nearly 392 million pounds of food to our member agencies, which translates to more than 306 million meals for people in need. Last year, we distributed 35.7 million pounds of food, enough to provide 76,000 meals each day to children, seniors and families in need. FBR is a member of Feeding America.
COMMUNITY FOOD SHARE
Community Food Share exists to ensure that no one in Boulder and Broomfield counties goes hungry. Now in its 30th year of service, Community Food Share distributes food to those in need through a network of 58 Member Agencies, including food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, and emergency food box programs, and several Direct Service programs targeting specific at-risk populations such as families with children enrolled in the School Free Lunch program and low-income seniors. All food is distributed free of charge. In 2010, Community Food Share distributed over 7 million meals (1 meal = 1 pound), 440,000 more meals (7%) more than in 2009.
The need in Boulder and Broomfield counties for food assistance is great.
One out of every eight people lives at or below the poverty line ($28,655/year
for a family of four). There are over 50,000 people in Boulder and Broomfield
counties living in poverty (enough to fill Folsom Field) and 12,000 children
enrolled in the School Free Lunch program in the Boulder Valley and St.
Vrain Valley school districts.
CARE AND SHARE FOOD BANK
Bridging the Gap Between Hunger and Abundance
Care and Share Food Bank for Southern Colorado is the region’s largest
hunger-relief organization. As southern Colorado's regional distribution
hub for locally and nationally donated and purchased food, Care and Share
provides food to more than 400 member agencies (soup kitchens, food pantries,
community centers and more), who serve hundreds of thousands of people
in need.
For More Information
For more information on becoming involved with Food Bank of the Rockies,
please visit their website at
Foodbankrockies.org
For more information on becoming involved with Community Food Share,
please visit their website at
Community Food
Share.org
For more information on becoming involved with Care and Share, please
visit their website at Care
and Share.org
