Centennial State News

Food insecurity is a legitimate issue, but a Colorado food pantry is having a hard time finding a place to set up, making it more difficult to serve those in need.

"You'd be surprised how hard that is to find," Liz Watts, co-founder and president of Food Connect Colorado, said in a Sentinel Colorado article about the struggle to find a place. "But, you know, the biggest bar to clear is the discrimination. That is my biggest problem."

Watts and co-founder Toby Levy met at a free food market in Parker, Colorado, in 2019, according to the organization's website. The two "saw the necessity for a free food pantry that was open several days a week." They created Food Connect and applied for nonprofit status, which was granted in March 2020.

The pair envisioned opening a brick-and-mortar place where people in need could shop and choose their own food, the website noted. The COVID-19 pandemic stalled those plans, and the only option was to operate a drive-through spot in a parking lot. Watts and volunteers filled boxes with fresh produce, dairy, dry groceries, and bread.

They distributed the boxes of food in Del Mar Park in Aurora, according to Sentinel Colorado. Food could be picked up day one day a week from May to November 2020. The food pantry then moved to a warehouse on Airport Boulevard in Aurora when pandemic restrictions were loosened.

The pantry stayed there until the end of April 2022, then closed due to lack of air conditioning and parking, the organization's website noted. Watts and Levy have looked for a new site since then.

"Once people hear what I do it's, 'Oh, no, we don't want your kind of business in this complex,'" Watts said about potential landlords. "That's what they say. They don't even try to hide it."

When the food pantry reopens, individuals can qualify for assistance if they meet the following criteria, according to the website. They must live in one of the following zip codes: 80010, 80011, 80012, 80013, 80014, 80015, 80016, 80017, 80018, 80019, 80045, or 80239 or be a student at Community College of Aurora. A student ID card, photo ID (driver's license, passport, etc.), and proof of residency (current utility bill such as electric, gas, water, or cable) must be provided. The current utility bill must include the person's name and a service address. A lease, mortgage agreement, or letter from their landlord stating that they live at the address will be accepted, as well. If a person is currently unhoused, they can shop without proof of address, but they must make an appointment.

Watts is still searching for a new location for Food Connect, Sentinel Colorado reported.

"I keep looking, but a lot of these places that I've looked at, I've already called and they've told me no," she said.