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Produce for a Purpose offers free food to Veterans

Five people supporting VA Cheyenne's free food program
Left to right : Spencer Chapin, Sue Chapin, Brian Providence, Kelly Barnthouse, Mike Barnthouse. Cheyenne VA distributes thousands of pounds of free vegetables every Monday, 9:00 a.m. to noon, from June through October.

By Jesus Flores, VISN 19 writer & editor

Cheyenne VA Health Care System program helps feed more than 300 Veterans and their families each week in Wyoming and northern Colorado.

Free food for Veterans 

Every Monday from June through October, Veterans can pick up fresh vegetables at Cheyenne VA Medical Center and Northern Colorado VA Outpatient Clinic in Loveland, Colorado, for free. 

The program is called Produce for a Purpose. It’s run by the Center for Development and Civic Engagement (CDCE) at Cheyenne VA. There’s no signup. Veterans can show up and receive fresh vegetables. 

What the program provides 

Miller Farms, a family farm in Platteville, Colorado, donates between 6,000 and 10,000 pounds of fresh vegetables each week. The donation totals about $65,000 per summer. Veterans and families take home corn, potatoes, green beans, squash, lettuce and more. 

The program serves more than 300 Veterans and their families each week. 

“Veterans tell us this food helps them eat healthier and feel more in control of their health,” said Kelli Wood, CDCE specialist and program coordinator. “They smile more, they engage more, it shows them that VA cares, and that means something.” 

Airmen and Girl Scouts lend a hand 

The produce is unloaded and sorted by CDCE volunteers, many of whom are retirees. To help with the heavy lifting, active-duty service members from F.E. Warren Air Force Base’s 90th Missile Wing support the Cheyenne site each week. 

This summer, Girl Scouts from Montana/Wyoming Junior Troop 1912 joined in to help weed and clear VA Cheyenne’s courtyard garden. Their work was part of a Take Action Project toward earning their Outdoor Journey Badge. 

A place to show up 

Navy Veteran Sue Chapin and her husband, a retired Army Veteran, volunteer every Monday in Loveland. She says many Veterans show up not knowing what to expect. 

“Some folks come through and you can tell they weren’t sure if this was for them,” Chapin said. “But once they see we’re here to help, learn there’s no signup and that it’s just free food to take home, you see the weight come off a little. They know someone’s looking out for them.” 

Where and when 

Produce for a Purpose runs every Monday from June through October from 9:00 a.m. to noon at: 

 

Cheyenne VA is working to expand the program and is seeking two refrigerated trailers to preserve food and reduce strain on volunteers. To learn more or support the program, call 307-778-7326 or visit: va.gov/cheyenne-health-care/work-with-us/volunteer-or-donate

Jesus Flores is a writer and editor on the VISN 19 Creative Task Force and a Marine Corps Veteran