Nutrition Security • Climate Action • Social Justice
Nutrition Security • Climate Action • Social Justice
While our early efforts focused on delivering food to established pantries, we quickly recognized a gap: traditional pantry models often struggle to handle the perishable, nutrient-rich foods we recover. To address this, we developed our Direct Distribution Model, delivering fresh food directly to communities within two hours of recovery.
In 2014, we partnered with the Birdseed Collective to launch Denver’s first No Cost Grocery Program (NCGP) in Globeville, a historically underserved neighborhood. This decentralized, community-led model provides groceries at no cost, allowing individuals to access healthy food with dignity and ease. Today, we collaborate with 21 NCGP partners, reaching families across 173 zip codes in Denver.
In 2016, we co-founded Fresh Food Connect, now an independent nonprofit, to connect backyard gardeners with hunger relief efforts. This initiative allows us to bring high-quality, hyper-local produce to our NCGPs, further enhancing the variety and freshness of the food we distribute.
Over the past decade, Denver Food Rescue has remained rooted in its core values of sustainability, community partnership, and innovation. By recovering surplus food and collaborating directly with communities, we’ve created a unique food access model that fosters equity, reduces environmental impact, and strengthens local food systems.
Together with our volunteers, community partners, and supporters, we’re transforming Denver’s food system—one delivery, one meal, and one connection at a time 💚
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Heart & Hand is dedicated to improving the lives of at risk youth and their families. Through high quality out of school time programming, we empower all children and families with the skills, information, and resources they need to create and realize their dreams. By investing in consistent and compassionate support for our children and families, we strive to disrupt the cycle of poverty and close the opportunity gap.
Heart & Hand serves 100, low-income youth in Denver’s 5 Points neighborhood. What makes Heart & Hand unique is our model of long term, intensive support. Our students come day after day, year after year, because they are known and nurtured in the Heart & Hand family. Daily programming ensures students develop the resources that research shows are critical for long term success: relationships with trusted adults, supportive peer networks, a safe after school environment, academic support, empowerment programming, and social-emotional skill building.
Heart & Hand families are grateful to Denver Food Rescue for the supply of fresh fruits and vegetables we receive on Wednesdays at our after school program site. This nutritious bounty is especially valuable to our many food insecure families.
Program Details:
Open to?Heart & Hand families
As one of the most well-known youth organizations in the country, Boys & Girls Clubs provide young people with The Cope Club serves nearly 1,000 members each year and participates in a variety of community events. The Club also features the Teen Center equipped with computer stations, books and research resources, and serves as a quiet place for teens to concentrate on their studies and have fun. They have had a No Cost Grocery Program since 2015.
Program Details:
Open to Cope Boys & Girls Club families
808 Inca St, Denver, CO 80204
Mondays 3pm to 9pm
As one of the most well-known youth organizations in the country, Boys & Girls Clubs provide young people with opportunities to engage in programs that help them achieve academic success, take charge of their health by building healthy habits that will stick with them throughout their lives, and foster the skills they need to become leaders in their communities.The Vickers Boys & Girls Club provides services to young people in the area, providing a place from them to learn, grow and succeed in life. They have had a No Cost Grocery Program set up for youth and their families who participate in the program since September of 2014.
Program details:
Open to Vickers Boys & Girl Club parents & families
A major proving ground for all things early childhood, Clayton Early Learning is Colorado?s leading catalyst in providing early care and education, and collaborating with others to improve these important services. Our work focuses on ensuring optimal development during the critical birth-to-5 period for all children, especially those of limited opportunities. We succeed in closing learning gaps of disadvantaged children through a powerful model unique to Clayton Early Learning that harnesses the synergy of four dynamic initiatives ? research, practice, training, and advocacy.
Specifically, the Food for Families committee at Clayton Early Learning was created as a result of high levels of food insecurity among families we serve. Our committee aims to provide nutritious food for all families and staff, as well as nutrition education and cooking skills. Our partnership with Denver Food Rescue allows staff and families to access healthy fruits and vegetables, to trade new recipes with others, and encourages them to try new foods!
Program details
Open to Clayton Early Learning families
The GrowHaus is a nonprofit indoor farm, marketplace and educational center in Denver’s Elyria-Swansea neighborhood. ?Our vision is a world where all communities have the means to nourish themselves, and our mission is to create a community-driven, neighborhood-based food system by serving as a hub for food distribution, production, education, and economic development.
The GrowHaus partners with DFR to provide an educational grocery program every Monday. In this innovative community- led program, participants engage in a creative cooking class, and strengthen community ties by sharing a delicious meal together, all alongside the free distribution of healthy food. Our MOVIL (mobile) grocery program delivers these free grocery items to nearly 20 home-bound neighbors each week (usually by bike!). These programs also provide job opportunities for several residents of our neighborhood.
Program?Details:
Open to the public
The GrowHaus 4751 York St, Denver, CO 80216
Mondays at 11:00 am
Birdseed Collective is a small community & arts non-profit organization directed by two former long-time residents of Globeville. One of their goals is to create opportunities for positive community and artistic programs in the Globeville neighborhood and Denver more generally. With years of experience in implementing many projects and programs, Birdseed Collective and volunteers have committed to running a weekly resident-based food distribution program called ?The Globeville Free Healthy Food Distribution and Preservation Program.? Through collaboration with Denver Food Rescue who redistributes the healthy food to Globeville, our Monday distribution program at the Globeville Recreation Center is going on it?s 3rd strong year.
Hunger is a sensitive issue and must be handled with compassion and in a non-intrusive environment. With a culturally sensitive and education-focused approach, participants receive pounds of healthy food weekly, learn about and try new healthy food options, learn food preservation techniques, and build community. Also through this program, 4 residents are now employed and are educated in job skills which they will use in the future. In 2015, our program served 387 unduplicated participants, and distributed 38,684 pounds of healthy food. This does not include fresh donations from Rainbo Bread and Raquelita?s Tortillas. Many goals for the program have been achieved such as hiring 4 residents and other staff, adding food preservation and expanding on our mission of ?The Art of Healthy Living.?
Program details:
Open to the Public
Globeville Rec. Center: 4496 Grant St. Denver, CO 80216
Mondays at 3:00 pm 4:00 pm