FOOD BANK FAQs

Frequently asked questions about food banking

What is a food bank?

A food bank undertakes the collection and distribution of donated food in a community. A food bank procures food from a variety of sources, sorts and stores it in their warehouse, and distributes it to charitable agencies, who in turn provide it to their clients in need. All food is supplied at no charge. You can think of a food bank as the 'wholesale' warehouse that supplies the 'retail' agencies. A recent trend in food banking is to also operate programs that provide food directly to clients, to meet the increased demand. Another recent trend is for food banks to purchase a portion of their inventory, to ensure a nutritious mix of staple items.

Where does the food bank get food?

CFS searches every available avenue in order to procure enough food to meet the community's needs. Our sources include:

• White Wave Foods supplies 3,000 gallons of Horizon Organic milk a week!
• Grocery stores; our fleet of trucks pick up frozen meats, produce, dairy products, bread, cereals and other nonperishable food from stores like Walmart, Target, King Soopers, Safeway, Albertsons, Whole Foods, and Sunflower
• Through its partnership with Feeding America, CFS has access to donations from corporations like ConAgra, Kraft, General Mills and Walmart.
• CFS holds 2 major food drives each year; Let's Bag Hunger in November and Hunger Hurts in March.
• The 5 Colorado food banks share food they may have in excess
• CFS purchases staple food items that may be in short supply
• CFS holds the USDA contract in Boulder County for TEFAP commodities.
• Farmers allow us to pick vegetables in their fields
• We source produce from large growers that have over-produced

Where does the food bank get money? 

While we do receive gifts from corporations and foundations, as well as public grants, our largest source of donations is from individuals like you who care about fighting hunger. CFS is scrupulous in making sure that our donors make a good investment. Only 5% of all of our resources are used for administrative and fundraising costs.

How can my non-profit organization or faith based organization get food?

If you are a 501c3 organization and you provide food at no charge to needy people, then you can become an agency. Contact our Agency & Programs Manager to apply.

Where can I drop off food? 

Food donations come in all sizes. If you have a few grocery bags or a few small boxes full of food that you’d like to drop off, then you can come to our office M-F 8-5. Larger-scale donations of food are received through our warehouse from 8:30 - 3:30PM M-F.

Which do you need more: food or money?

Money goes much further. CFS can stretch your dollar through our partnerships with the food industry. In fact, for every dollar donated we can distribute four meals. 

How do I start a food drive? 

We are grateful to our friends in the community who hold food drives: they not only generate food – they generate awareness of the invisible problem of hunger in our community. Get some helpful hints.

What food items do you need most?

Nutritious, nonperishable food. See our list of most needed items. 

How do I get food?

Click on the Get Help section, or go to the Resources page to see a list of places you can go to access food.

Who gets food?

Anyone in need; Low income families with children, the "working poor", the unemployed, disabled residents, seniors, low income individuals with a chronic illness, teens at risk, the mentally ill and the homeless. According to the last census estimate, 1 in 8 people in Boulder & Broomfield County live at or below the poverty line. Those living at this income level are at risk of not having enough food. CFS helps these folks make ends meet by providing food and non-food supplies so that the money otherwise spent on these items can be diverted to other necessities.

What kind of food do you give away?

Community Food Share prioritizes nutritious foods, and tracks inventory according to its nutritional value. Much of what we distribute is fresh produce (30%), dairy products (25%), and frozen meats.We also have canned fruits and vegetables, pasta, fruit juices, cereal, soup and many other types of nonperishable foods.