VA and community partners combat food insecurity in Colorado
In honor of Veterans Day and to combat the growing challenge of food insecurity, VA and community partners joined forces for a Feed the Children giveaway on Nov. 4.
With enough nonperishable food, personal care items and children’s books for 400 families, the drive-through event was held at VA’s Jewell Clinic in Aurora.
The challenge of providing
Food insecurity exists when people have limited or no access to sufficient food to meet their basic needs. This includes the challenge of being able to secure food of an adequate nutritional quality.
Eva Gergely, VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System chief of civic engagement and community development, organized this event. She said 35 volunteers came to assist, including Senator Michael Bennet, D-Colo., and Sandra Leaver, Feed the Children director of corporate partnerships.
“No Veteran or enlisted person should have to rely on outside assistance to feed their families, but with rising costs of rent and food, it’s a necessity,” said Sen. Bennet. “It’s great to have amazing volunteers here to help meet that need.”
One recipient, Jermaine Martin, expressed gratitude as he collected supplies for his Veteran father and a children’s book for his young daughter.
“Thank you so much,” he said.
Statistics highlight the need
According to a Feed the Children study tracking income level, 6.7% of Veterans fall below the poverty line.
“Today, in Colorado, more than 1 in 10 people do not have access to enough food,” Leaver said.
Feed the Children and the community partners turned out to lend a hand and “to provide hope and resources to the brave men and women who served our country and communities and to support all the service members and their families.”
Leaver said, in addition to supplying food and resources to families, this event also provided an opportunity to bring awareness to important issues facing the community.
Reach beyond the event
Gergely said boxes with provisions were also distributed to service members at Floyd K. Lindstrom VA Clinic in Colorado Springs, Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora and VA Community Resources and Referral Center in Denver.
For more information about Feed the Children or statistics on food insecurity among Veterans, please visit Help Fight Childhood Hunger | Feed the Children.
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April Love is a Writer-Editor on the VISN 19 Creative Task Force. She began working for Denver VA in 2016 and lives in Aurora, Colorado.