AURORA, Colo. — The Struggle of Love Foundation, a nonprofit based in Denver’s Montbello neighborhood, is hoping donations will help keep their food bank open after losing a grant from the City of Denver.
Last month, Struggle of Love Founder Joel Hodge said the nonprofit was facing a $100,000 shortfall while trying to serve hundreds of migrants and after acquiring a second location in Aurora.
“We are actually celebrating our 23-year anniversary and we are having a soft opening of our second location in Aurora,” said Struggle of Love Executive Director LaKeisha Hodge. “We're still struggling... We did have to lay three people off from our food pantry because we just don't have the funding.”
LaKeisha said community partners have helped stock the food bank, but Struggle of Love is still working to cover salaries for food bank employees.
“We're also prepping to distribute 1,000 boxes for Thanksgiving, which takes a lot of funding to do as well. And so we've been trying to be creative on how to distribute those funds to make sure that we can still support the community but so that we can also save some jobs,” LaKeisha said.
After hearing Struggle of Love’s story, Denver7 viewers donated to the nonprofit’s Denver7 Gives fund and raised $3,109.
“We’re so grateful for any help we receive, so thank you, thank you so much,” LaKeisha said.
She said between Denver7 Gives and Colorado Gives Day donations, she is hoping Struggle of Love can rehire the three workers they recently laid off.
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