While Colorado schools are serving free meals to students this year, a local partnership is making sure kids have something healthy to eat when they’re at home.
The Colorado Food Cluster was created by Revolution Foods, Bondadosa, Denver Food Rescue and the PEACE Collective. The partnership began working through schools last year, and has now shifted to a home-based model where families can sign up directly to receive food.
Partner Bondadosa provides the storage facilities and trucks to deliver meals to children across the Front Range. Bondadosa Chief of Staff Dom Barrera said the home deliveries help remove some of the stigma surrounding food assistance.
“One of the barriers for a lot of kids is they feel ashamed or embarrassed picking it from their school, so we kind of cut that out by taking it directly to their home,” Barrera said.
Families can sign up for the weekly food deliveries through the website or an app. Each child in the household receives seven dinners, 14 snacks and milk for the week. They can also request accommodations for allergies, or other food preferences.
Barrera said Bondadosa also has a goal of helping entire families by offering educational materials and jobs as well. They’re currently hiring drivers to make deliveries.
“We’re providing jobs, giving food, skill training, educational components and it just feels really good to do that,” he said.