PUEBLO, Colo. (KOAA) — A Pueblo restaurant is opening its doors to anyone displaced by the Aspen Acres Fie, offering free meals and a place to sit and feel supported.
1129 Spirits and Eatery owner Jennifer Priest said the response from the community has been overwhelming.
"We need to recognize that we have Pueblo pride," Priest said, "these are our neighbors that we are taking care of right now."
Priest said the generosity has gone both ways.
"We've had people come and get free meals and then leave money for other people and there's so much healing and helping others," Priest said.
Kayla Munoz, manager at 1129 Spirits and Eatery, who has also been involved in the effort, said giving back is something the restaurant has always been committed to.
"Now on the reciprocating end that we've already received that type of grace from our town itself, we always try to give back now in any type of situation that we face," Munoz said.
Among those benefiting from the effort is Joey Anderson, one of the first people to evacuate Beulah on Monday. She says her dad is on the front lines.
"I was only able to grab a couple of things and I had to leave everything else behind and it's been really hard for my family," Anderson said.
Anderson said knowing where the next meal is coming from has brought some relief during an uncertain time.
"A big help for all of us victims, and I just wanna thank them so much for giving us these free meals through these challenging times," Anderson said.
Priest said she plans to keep the effort going for as long as possible, directing donations toward as many people as she can reach.
"As our community is giving us donations, we're trying to silo that to many different areas that we can to touch as many people," Priest said.
Priest said she hopes her restaurant can act as a central hub for people to drop off donations to give to shelters. She drops off items every single day.
"We're taking donations to places multiple times a day, multiple routes to different resources, first responders, those who are helping coordinate within the city as well, the firefighters, the displaced members of the community too, so we have multiple connections of where they are taking these donations currently," said Munoz.
The restaurant holds deep personal meaning for Priest. She said the same spirit that led her to open it is what drives her to keep helping now.
"1129 Spirits and Eatery is in honor of my son Jordan Munoz. He was 25 years old and unfortunately he passed away in a tragic vehicle accident. We opened the restaurant in 2019 in his memory and we've been able to do a lot of fantastic things through this restaurant, through Jordan," Priest said.
Jordan Munoz was in the first class to graduate from Pueblo Community College Fire Science Academy.
"At his funeral, the fire department showed up all the fire trucks, and they were amazing in supporting us through that time," Priest said.
That support is something Priest now wants to extend to first responders and to evacuees who do not know what tomorrow will bring.
She said she isn't alone in the effort. Other businesses in the area have stepped up and donated to the cause.
Priest said they reached out after she posted a video online.
"I was at Walmart and I was picking up some items to decorate for Fourth of July, and I walked out of Walmart and I see this horrible plume of smoke coming up. It completely changed how I felt in the moment. I came down here and you know the ash started falling and I'm like, oh my gosh, what is this going to do to our community," Priest said, "I made a video. It was a quick video about, you know, what can we do, who can we reach out to, and that was probably 9 o'clock in the morning. By noon we had had numerous people reach out."
People from businesses like Latcon Corp, Gordon's Food Service, El Rodeo Meat Market, Mi Ranchito Restaurant, Izzy's Creations, and Paula's Cozy Cottage to name a few.
But all their donations and help goes back to those impacted by the wildfires. People like Anderson.
Anderson offered a message of hope to others, like her family, who have lost so much.
"A house is only 4 walls and a roof. What makes a home is the people that are inside it, and just as long as you have those people with you, you are home no matter where you are," Anderson said.
