Towards the end of 2023, Springs Food Pantry was facing a very difficult situation. After serving the community from their West Side location for over six years, director Linda Carroll was forced to pack up the pantry and find a new home due to issues with the building. Thankfully—in the eleventh hour—she prevailed.
With such a major change in location—moving nearly 8 miles across town—Linda suspected that many of her previous clients would simply go to the next nearest pantry to them on the west side. Many of these neighbors instead opted to follow Springs Food Pantry across the city to their new location to shop from them there. This is truly a testament to how this work extends beyond the transactional nature of giving and receiving food. Springs Food Pantry’s neighbors are part of a community that they have a stake in, a place where they feel valued and dignified.
The first distribution for Springs Food Pantry at their new location went remarkably well, serving 96 families on the first day. Linda is grateful not only for being welcomed in so generously, but also for how the large, open layout at Springs First Church will allow her pantry operations to flourish—deliveries are able to be received off the truck far more easily, pantry days run more seamlessly, and Linda is able to collaborate with Paula to troubleshoot any issues that arise.
For Paula, this partnership presents opportunities for growth. Exchanging ideas with Linda will only build upon the great work she and her team have been doing at Springs First Church. As this neighborhood exists in one of the most food-insecure parts of the city, maximizing the use of this facility in how it addresses hunger is a real strategic victory for all entities working in this space, as well as of course for the people they serve.
At Care and Share we are very excited about this new community partnership and the way in which it arose organically out of an unfortunate circumstance. It’s inspiring to see a grassroots effort come together in such a way that elevates the work of all involved and strengthens their capacity to serve their neighbors. It speaks to the shared mission of those in our incredible partner agency network and the resilience of this commitment to increasing food access and reducing hunger throughout southern Colorado.
