Community Food Share

I have been volunteering here for over 15 years. I started with my daughter's girl scout troop and she is now 28. I am a weekly volunteer.

I help with the Boulder Community Food Share. I go in once a week and put together food orders for agencies- like church groups. It is amazing to see how much food gets moved out of the Food Share each week. There is a large demand and this organization does a good job to fill the need. It is interesting to see how all the jobs get done with different volunteers coming in each day, people have to get trained in tasks and safety. It is very hectic some days and others there is nobody there to help out. Somehow the employees manage to keep it all under control and keep the food moving in and out. Overall it is a good experience, I have met a number of interesting people and get to help out the community.

Community Food Share does great work by getting huge amount of food out to people who need it, either through other organizations, or through their family program. They keep the volunteers really busy, and involve a very wide range of ages. I have seen second graders packing potatoes, and I have seen 80 year olds packing beans.

I had volunteered at Community Food Share for about a year before my son was born in September (so I am now taking a break before I can volunteer again) and I really do miss it! I helped out with the check-out for the Agency Shopping and set up for Feeding Families for 3 hours per week (as well as substituting when needed) and worked with the Elder-Share site in Longmont twice per month (as well as the occasional substituting for food delivery). The staff and volunteers really could not be any more friendly and caring than they are and I felt so fortunate to be able to have the time to serve where I was needed. I am always amazed at how well every program is run (and there are a lot of them!) and how organized everything and everyone is to make it all work together. They do so much for the community and I know that so many local families have fallen on hard times recently and it's wonderful to know that they can find the compassion and help they need from an organization like this. I honestly can't wait until I'm able to come back to CFS to volunteer again!

I have been a volunteer a the Community Food Share for the past 11 years, and have been impressed withs the care and concern by the staff for the clients served, and their efforts to broaden the base and help overcome a number of food issues shared by an increasing number of persons and families in our area. I have been mpressed with the efficiency of operations and the attitude the staff.

I have been a volunteer at Community Food Share for 10 years, averaging about eight hours a month. This organization is phenomenal. CFS serves two counties in Colorado with a relatively small paid staff and hundreds (if not thousands) of volunteers. People want to be CFS volunteers because it is immensely satisfying to know that you are helping distribute food to those in need. Over the years CFS has modified their core programs to make sure they are serving every sector of need in the counties. Every client is treated with respect and dignity. Both the staff and the volunteers take the time to listen to people's stories...sometimes that is as important as the food. CFS is a lifeline for a lot of people.

I am a volunteer receptionist and donor at Community Food Share. I have worked with several non-profit corporations in the role of employee and volunteer. I have never been as impressed with a non-profit's staff as I am with those at CFS. Each and every person seems to have a genuine empathy and heart for those they serve. No one ever says "that's not my job, go ask so-and- so" or "tell them to call back until so-and-so is here." They are all willing to answer questions, fill a grocery cart for a drop-in emergency case, or fill in for one another when someone is out or otherwise engaged. This just doesn't happen in most corporations. I'm also impressed that such a high percentage of all donations goes to the people served by CFS. I am honored to be, in a small way, part of Community Food Share and it's mission.

I have been volunteering at CFS least once a week since I moved to Broomfield four years ago. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with the CFS staff and the other volunteers. I have invited several friends to work with me filling the food orders that are sent to member agencies. All of my friends have shared my enthusiasm for CFS and have continued to volunteer regularly.

St John's Episcopal Church in Boulder runs a soup kitchen for the Homeless the first Sunday of each month. The Church has limited funds so uses CFS to provide as much of the meal as possible. By working with them on our menu and being flexible, we have been able to provide a three course hot lunch to over 100 guests and to also provide each of them with a sack lunch for about $1.80 / guest. CFS is very easy to work with and very helpful when we need to get more of one item than they would normally allow to meet our specific needs. It is a blessing to have them available to help us meet the needs of the community.

CFS is what a food charity should be. The people who come each week to help feed their families are treated with complete respect and are given fruits, vegetables, dairy and much more. It is a true pleasure to volunteer with an organization so well run and understanding what their real mission is for their clients.

I have been a volunteer with Community Food Share for several years(so many I have lost count). There are many other places I could spend my time volunteering, but helping the needy get food is so basic that I choose to serve here. The Staff and Volunteers at Community Food Share are a truly dedicated group of people. They go out of their way to help people in the community find food. No one is ever turned away for an emergency food box. I especially like that this agency serves a diverse age group of people from providing food for impoverished elderly to people with children in the free school lunch programs. The kind attitudes and friendliness of Community Food Share helps people who are down and out not feel humiliated or guilty about accepting help. We try to offer solutions and guidance to the needy to find the food their families need. Community Food Share is well recognized by the community as a great asset. It is my great privilege to volunteer there. Jane White 4708 Kincross Ct. Boulder, CO 80301

I am the ececutive director of a food bank served by Community Foodshare. We receive approximately 70% of our food from CFS. CFS has been a pleasure to work with as they provide very good and nutritous food for our client families. They listen to suggestions that we make about food procurement and I appreciate their willingness too cooperate with their member agencies. I have been associated with CFS for at least 12 years and have enjoyed our relationship. In closing I am very satisfied with the overall performance of CFS.

I am a volunteer at Community Food Share. This organization is well organized, well funded and attracts a lot of support from the community. It is so successful it is close to outgrowing its current space (18,000 square feet). 57 member agencies obtain food from CFS (food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, residential treatment centers, and emergency food box programs.) In 2009, Community Food Share distributed over 6.6 million meals. I personally, along with some of my fellow deacons from our church, volunteer for the "Feeding Families" program, where families with school children living at or below the poverty line may shop for food for free every week. Community Food Share's misson is to ensure that no one in Boulder & Broomfield Counties goes hungry. The people involved at CFS are dedicated and compassionate, and work very hard to make their numerous programs a success.

I’ve been a volunteer at Community Food Share for over 10 years, and during that time I’ve had the privilege of being a part of its impact on fighting hunger in our community. Due to the generosity of our community and the dedication of the staff at Community Food Share, the amount of food distributed every year has increased, totaling over 6 million pounds in 2009. The expressions of thanks from the families and the smiles on the faces of the children that benefit from Community Food Share’s programs make the time I spend there one of the most rewarding parts of my day.