On Tuesday, local nonprofit Lift-Up asked Garfield County commissioners for financial assistance to tackle the region’s rising food insecurity crisis.
The organization’s request is part of a region-wide plea to local governments for a collective $2.5 million to help meet the growing demand for its services.
The money would go towards paying down debt from purchasing a new warehouse in Glenwood Springs, in addition to mortgages on existing Lift-Up pantries.
“If we could get a chunk of money to pay that off, it would be more food in people's bellies,” said Klaus Kocher, Lift-Up’s board secretary.
A portion of the funds would also go toward expanding Lift-Up’s services, including its Farm 2 Food Pantry program, which offers local farmers and ranchers contracts for fresh, locally sourced food for food bank recipients. The funds would also help Lift-Up purchase a new vehicle with the capacity to tow its new “mobile market” pantry.
Since 2022, Lift-Up has seen a 138% increase in visits to its pantries, coupled with a drop in donations.
Thanks to cuts in federal food assistance programs and the region’s rising cost of living, more people than ever need help putting food on the table.
In a presentation to Garfield County commissioners, Lift-Up Board Member Tinker Duclo described typical clients that Lift-Up serves – from local college students, to a retired senior whose social security checks aren’t keeping pace with inflation or property taxes, to a single mom who’s working two jobs and faces an unexpected car expense.
According to Lift-Up, 35% of its clients are working families, 30% are children, and 23% are seniors.
Already, Lift-Up has tried to reign in costs as much as possible without sacrificing essential services, including eliminating its drive-through pantries, securing a six month hold on its mortgage payments, hiring fewer staff, and decreasing food waste.
Without additional funds, the organization will be forced to make more drastic cuts. The result: turning away people in need.
Garfield County Commissioner Tom Jankowski said he understood that Lift-Up is “in crisis mode.” But before the county pitches in, he wants more details from the organization about how it intends to stabilize its finances.
“We want to make sure you're not back in front of us every year asking for additional funding,” he said.
