Dear Friends,
Due to the continuing federal government shutdown, we anticipate a surge in demand at the Eagle River Valley Food Bank, a project of Our Community Foundation. In Eagle County, federal workers at our National Forest Service and BLM are furloughed. TSA staff at the Eagle County Airport are working without pay. Over 500 households in Eagle County receive SNAP (food stamps) benefits. SNAP is a supplement to help families with groceries and make ends meet. SNAP households were given a boost in their January payment, but no additional SNAP benefits will be allotted in February. The average SNAP benefit per person was about $126 per month.
“My kids were living on PBJ’s hotdogs and bananas. I kept going over my budget, I have two jobs and I just couldn’t keep up. Applying for SNAP was very uncomfortable for me. I delayed for a long time and finally realized I had to let go of my pride and focus on the health of my kids. In addition to SNAP, I am grateful to shop at the food bank and to have my kids come along and volunteer.”
One woman who works for the federal government and has missed her first paycheck, said after learning about the Eagle River Valley Food Bank, she sat in her car in front of the food warehouse for a long time, working up the courage to come in and get food. She didn’t expect that it would come to this. She expressed her appreciation and relief upon coming in and being treated with care and respect. She felt comfortable encouraging her coworkers to stop in and pick up groceries.
The snow is great this year, visitor numbers are up, service workers are racking up plenty of hours, and still many struggle to put food on the table. A tax-deductible gift to Our Community Foundation will help us stock our warehouse shelves and will help us to ensure that we distribute nutritious food options to families that includes fresh produce.
Interested in making a gift to Eagle River Valley Food Bank, a project of Our Community Foundation? Your tax-deductible donation will ensure food for our local families.
https://ourcommunityfoundation.org/donate/
Many thanks to you from Our Community Foundation and the neighbors you are helping.