Food boxes distributed to combat effects of pandemic, inflation
Cars lined up one by one, to get a valuable box of food.
"Chicken, carrots, celery, um, bell peppers, onions, garlic, noodles, potatoes. You name it we got it," said Lisana Muñoz, Deputy Director of Human Rights and Community Partnerships.
The food is given out to Coloradans who are feeling the effects of rising food costs.
"With inflation at a 40-year high, we're seeing more and more people turn to food distribution to kind of meet their basic needs and the needs of their loved ones," said Aditi Desai, Vice President of Marketing and Communication for Food Bank of the Rockies.
On Saturday, families arrived at the Lalo Delgado Campus to get the free box of food. The food is funded by the Emergency Inflation Relief Program. One million dollars from the city's American Rescue Plan Act are being distributed to families who have experienced food insecurity due to financial hardship resulting from the economic impact of the pandemic and inflation.
"Families are really turning to this to meet their basic needs so that they can continue to pay the rent, pay the utilities bills, and make sure that their loved ones still get food on the table," Desai said.
According to the Consumer Price Index, people living in the Denver metro area are paying 7.7% more for goods and services. Even though that is lower than the national average of 8.2%, the average Coloradan has spent over $9,000 on food, housing, transportation, and medical care since 2020, according to the Common Sense Institute.
"There is just so much need right now for families and we're hoping that this would provide a little relief for those who need it most," Muñoz said.
The remaining two events where food will be distributed will be Oct. 22 at Ascension Catholic Parish and Oct. 29 at the National Western Complex. Both times will be from 8 a.m. until noon.
