COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — Meadows Park Community Center closed permanently on Friday due to the City of Colorado Springs' anticipated 2026 budget shortfall. The closure will save the city about $775,000.
Every week, Meadows Park would serve and distribute food to community members, free of charge. Thursday marked the community center's final food distribution. 41 people were served, but as many as 120 people relied on the center's cost-free food resources weekly.
Trish Sanders has been an advocate for keeping the community center open since the announcement of its closure last month. As a volunteer, she's concerned for the senior citizens who frequent Meadows Park.
"It's an easy place for them to come and have their lunches and stuff, food and stuff," Sanders said. "Some of them drive, but some of them don't. The ones who do drive don't drive very far."
Local non-profit Food to Power helped supplement the weekly food distribution at Meadows Park. Executive Director Patience Kabwasa says they served more than 6,000 people through the program this year. She now worries about accessibility to similar programs.
“It’s not just as easy as going to another community or another grocery program," Kabwasa said. "It’s not within walking distance, and if it is on the bus line, there’s several stops that have to be made. Which just increases the tax on somebody’s day.”
The city is redirecting people to three other community centers in Colorado Springs. It includes Deerfield Hills Community Center, Hillside Community Center, and Westside Community Center.
Each community center offers its own food distribution, but they are between three and five miles away from Meadows Park.
Deerfield Hills Community Center
4th Friday of each month: 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m.
719-385-5996
4290 Deerfield Hills Road
Hillside Community Center
2nd Friday of each month: 12 p.m.–2 p.m.; 4th Friday of each month: 12 p.m.–2 p.m. & 4 p.m.–6 p.m.
719-385-7900
925 S. Institute Street
Westside Cares at Westside Community Center
Wednesdays: 1–3 p.m.
719-389-0759
1628 W. Bijou St.
Food Access Director Natalia Avila says Food to Power does offer weekly no-cost grocery programs on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The non-profit also offers no-cost deliveries on Fridays. However, Avila wants to figure out how to meet people who live near Meadows Park where they're at.
“We are in search of a church, another community center, another person, another entity, another organization that is willing to house that program," Avila said. "Maybe get a community carpool going so we can transport the participants that were going there every Thursday to come here.”
Avila also worries about how to closure will impact community members emotionally and socially.
“Community centers house like hundreds of children," Avila said. "Hundreds of people, hundreds of programs.”
Front Range Maker's Market this weekend in Monument
More than 100 local vendors will be at the Front Range Maker's Market at Lewis-Palmer High School Saturday and Sunday.
Sanders has similar worries, fearful that senior citizens will lose a sense of community and feel isolated.
"This is something that people kind of depend on, being in touch with their friends too," Sanders said. "That's why this is a community center."
It is unclear what will be done with the community center building or property yet. The City of Colorado Springs tells News 5 that a solution team will be put together to figure out the next steps.
In the meantime, Kabwasa hopes the community will come together to figure out an accessible solution.
“What I would love to see out of this is solid, collective partnerships that are built to mitigate and pull these resources together," Kabwasa said. "We can make sure that folks are accessing the food that they need to live, and to thrive, and to feed their families.”
You can find community center resources in Colorado Springs here.
Email Senior Reporter Meghan Glova at meghan.glova@koaa.com.
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