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Extending a hand for the holidays, IFCS distributes free food boxes

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by
Lindsey Ford
• Published on
IFCS distributed 500 free food boxes ahead of Thanksgiving. Food insecurity is a major issue for Coloradans; 20% of adults report skipping meals or cutting back because they can't afford groceries.
Photo: Lindsey Ford, Rocky Mountain PBS
Rocky Mountain PBS

LITTLETON, Colo. — The worst of the pandemic may be in the rear view, but its lasting effects are noticeable today. One of those effects is food insecurity.

On Nov. 18, ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, the Integrated Family Community Services — a Colorado-based hunger relief organization — distributed 500 free food boxes with help from the Food Bank of the Rockies.

Sandra Blythe-Perry, the executive director for IFCS, explained that it was not just the pandemic that has set people back. Inflation rates and high prices on essential needs such as housing and groceries are becoming a burden on lower-income families.

“Three years, four years past the pandemic, things [should be] better. No, people are still experiencing challenges, lots of food insecurity in the community,” Blythe-Perry said. “And so, we want to make sure that everybody has a nutritious food or meal for the holiday.”

Colorado Voices

Inclusive food boxes for Coloradans in need

The food boxes contained fresh produce, honey, rice and a $25 gift card so recipients could buy additional food. Blythe-Perry explained that the food inside the box was “culturally sensitive,” meaning the items inside the box were not necessarily the fixings for a typical traditional Thanksgiving meal. Many of the people IFCS serves are immigrants, and Blythe-Perry said she wanted people to create a dinner they will enjoy.

Blythe-Perry shares that many of the 250 volunteers who helped on Saturday know what it’s like to struggle keeping their own pantries full.

“But they all want to come together for a common goal to take care of the community,” said Blythe-Perry.

More than 200 people voluteered at the IFCS food box distribution Saturday, Nov. 18.
Photo: Lindsey Ford, Rocky Mountain PBS

According to Hunger Free Colorado, a third of the state lacks reliable access to nutritious food and 20% of Colorado adults regularly cut back or skip meals because they don’t have enough money for groceries.

On average, IFCS serves about 6,000 individuals a month. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization served about 600 people per month.

“I just want to help people. Especially the children,” Blythe-Perry said. “I want to make sure that they have food, that they can learn in school when they have the proper nutrition. I want to support that single mother, that single father in their struggles. We all have challenges.”

For information on receiving help from IFCS, visit this link.

Lindsey Ford is a multimedia journalist at Rocky Mountain PBS. lindseyford@rmpbs.org

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