COLORADO SPRINGS — Southern Colorado stepped up, donating a lot of food during the government shutdown.
Now it is over, the hope is the generosity will continue through the holidays.
A donor named Wanda dropping off a turkey and sides at Care & Share Foodbank said, “I already sent a check in, and then I did this grocery shopping today.”
For her it is paying it forward from her experience as a kid.
“When I was a child, my parents were on welfare, and that's how we got our food, and I'm just trying to give back because I know what it's like to not have a meal to eat, especially during the holidays.”
“Thanksgiving is such an important time, and when you look at all the holidays, there's no holiday that Care and Share steps up more to than the Thanksgiving holiday,” said Care & Share Executive Director, Nate Springer.
This year the call for Thanksgiving donations at Care and Share Food Bank comes right after the month-long government shutdown when the community showed its generosity.
So far donations continue for the holidays; the Take a Turkey to Work drive is days away, and there is a helpful added incentive from an anonymous community member who will match donations up to $25,000.
Springer said, “What everyone needs to know is that there are more people in need than we've ever seen, but there's less food in the national system to support those people. So we really have to rely on the community more than we ever have.”
“It's been an unusual year, with things getting cut back before the shutdown and then the shutdown happened. People were desperate," said Rochelle Schlortt with Catholic Charities of Central Colorado.
The need at Catholic Charities is staples for the soup kitchen where more than 300 free meals a day are served.
Holiday dinners are in the works.
If some is wanting to help but does not have extra in their budget, there are no-cost ways to help.
“We always have volunteer positions that are open and in need," said Schlortt
From the government shutdown to holiday help--there are donors going from one to the other without hesitation.
With a smile, Wanda said, “It's just the right thing to do and let a family have a good meal.
The goal for the 2025 Take a Turkey to Work day is to add 3,000 turkeys to just over 6,000 already in Care and Share freezers.
The drive is Friday, November 21st, with collection points at most Southern Colorado King Soopers stores.
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