BENNETT, Colo. — The government shutdown continues to have a major impact on SNAP recipients, with many Colorado families turning to food banks to fill in the gap. But in rural communities, that's often times not an easy option.
The I-70 Street Reach Food Bank opened up in May after the only food bank in Bennett closed.
"They came to retirement age, and last December, without notice, closed down. Actually just before December, which was hard timing for the community," David Thomas, director of I-70 Street Reach Food Bank, said of the former operators.
Thomas, his wife Ruth, and a group of volunteers have a long history of giving back. After years of serving meals to the homeless in Denver, the Thomases moved to Bennett.
"We were called by Food Bank of the Rockies. My first initial answer when they asked me if I would do this was, 'Absolutely not. It's a lot of work, you know,'" said David, "but then God got a hold of me and the Holy Spirit, which sounds like my wife."
"I knew there was a lot of people in need here," said Ruth.
The small, quiet streets that make rural communities so special also highlight their challenges.
"It's way more difficult because the resources are sparse. There are a lot of food banks in the Denver metro area," said David.
Now, I-70 Street Reach Food Bank is the lone location that now serves Watkins, Bennett, Stasburg, Byers and Deer Trail.
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At least 100 families showed up at the recent food distribution over the weekend, with a total of 250 on the distribution list.
"We are actually giving out between 7,500- 10,000 pounds of food every two weeks," said David.
The need has only been made greater by the financial strain of the government shutdown.
"Way more. It has doubled on some of those distribution days from the beginning. Just lately," he said.
Despite the empty shelves and fridges in the bank on the days following the food distribution, they are certain they'll be ready for the next giveway, thanks to the government and nonprofit partnerships that help keep them stocked along with the number of neighbors stepping in to help.
"We get food from Food Bank of the Rockies. We get from King Soopers. We get from other locations. We have different donations. We have a Bradbury Farms, which gives us beef, so we have some local distributors that are helping fill them, and we go and purchase some stuff," David said. "It also will bring the community closer together, if everybody's working together. That's what my vision is. I want to have a better community."
To donate to the I-70 Street Reach Food Bank, click here.
"Everything that is donated right now all goes back to overhead and food," David said.
The food distributions happen the second and fourth Saturday of the month from 9:30-11:30 a.m. at 460 3rd St in Bennett. Click here to complete the registration form.
