DENVER — Ever since Tara De La Fuente started giving back, her mission to help the unhoused has only expanded.
“My mission has not changed and that’s really to feed the people who are hungry and give back to the people who need it,” De La Fuente said.
And although there have been ups and downs the past four years, she has remained devoted to the cause.
“Somebody ended up donating a van to me on Veteran’s Day,” she said. “But then it got stolen. Fortunately, we have other modes of transportation now. I’ve just always wanted to help and I wanted to help bring some resolution and peace to our community because there was just so much going on.”
When we first met De La Fuente, she was dishing out meals from her car, then the park, then the Holy Trinity Church.
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“The pastor just saw me feeding across the street at the park and he said, ‘What are you doing?’ And I said, ‘Well, I don’t have a venue,’” De La Fuente said. “We’ve had two years working together and well, he gave me the keys, so I have access to the church. It’s been pretty amazing.”
And now, two years after we first introduced you to her mission, Denver7 viewers and Safeway stores are still supporting her.
“We’ve got all the supplies that you’ve requested,” said a manager at Safeway.
De La Fuente said those supplies will come a long way.
“We are so grateful,” De La Fuente said. “So, we can help feed the people. I can’t tell you, so thank you so much.”
In addition to the supplies, there was more from Denver7 viewers to help pay for the meals, including $3,000 collected from your donations.
“Yes. Thank you, Channel 7,” De La Fuente said. “Thank you so much.”
De La Fuente will get $200 a week for the next 15 weeks to buy fresh food, like fried chicken, which has become a crowd favorite.
“That’s right. God bless,” De La Fuente said. “It is the most popular thing. Nobody else is serving fried chicken out here. It’s hot, it’s fresh, and we get it right here from our local Safeway.”
De La Fuente and her nonprofit partner work with King Soopers, Natural Grocers, Safeway, and others in order to serve the unhoused three times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays from 4 p.m. - 5 p.m.
“They love that hot, fresh food that we get,” De La Fuente said. “We actually just increased our chicken from 50 pieces to 66 pieces each meal because we see more people coming. I always say, ‘What do you want to eat?’ You feed somebody what you would eat.”
It's a mission with a cause.
“We just wanted to say how proud we are of you,” said one of De La Fuente’s family members who was attending a recent photo shoot with her.
“It’s amazing,” De La Fuente said. “I’m so grateful. Thank you so much Russell and thank you to 7 News.”
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