Six Figures in Donations Raised Through Local Organizations; Area Food Banks Fully Equipped
Trevor Phipps
As soon as the word got out that the SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits (often referred to as food stamps) would get sliced and possibly eliminated, the county promptly took action and summoned an unprecedented response effort that has now become a successful example of how a community can unite during turbulent times.
In order to aid those in need, county officials, partnered with an array of local businesses, government entities and nonprofit organizations, to raise money and food for those Teller residents in need by forming what was called the Teller County Cares Food Initiative. This became the county’s defense mechanism to step in when the federal government completely stopped running.
After 43 days of an extensive community effort, the food drive finally concluded its operations, in the wake of the reopening of the federal government. In the process, the initiative raised a record amount of money. In addition, their efforts have all been recorded so a similar food and charity drive could get organized in the future. And with the continual political turbulence at the federal level, it’s not an unsafe assumption to predict that another massive government could occur, in early 2026, or in the near future. The continual blame games for the government shutdown between leaders of the nation’s two political parties has continued.
Throughout their efforts, the county was able to raise more than $150,000 from major donors such as SSR Mining Cripple Creek, Charis Bible College, El Pomar and the Ute Pass Saddle Club. Further, multiple food drives held at a slew of locations within the county yielded enough food to push all of the local food banks to maximum capacity level. That has not occurred in some time.
A Roadmap for the Future
During the food drive and initiative, the county purchased new software and designed a road map for a massive food and collaborative effort that can be used in the future in the case of another government shutdown, a wildfire or massive snowstorm. And not only can the county use the roadmap for future emergencies, but it can also share what they have done with other counties within the state, so that other entities can implement a similar community-wide food drive process.
According to Teller County Commission Chairman Dan Williams, some other counties in the state declared a state of emergency. But in Teller County, the community rose to the occasion to prevent an emergency.
Williams said that the situation started before the government shutdown, when funding was cut at the federal level. The budget cuts put a strain on local food banks. And then the lengthy government shutdown, the most extensive in the nation’s history, caused furloughed federal workers and SNAP benefit cuts. This posed big impacts in Teller County.
By December 1, the community raised $155,000 to help make up for funds the food bank didn’t receive this year. The county also got all of the food collected at the central distribution hub distributed to all of the local food banks, which are now completely full.
The county also purchased new freezers for all of the food banks. Moreover, county funds were used to purchase eight to 10 cows, which were processed to stock the food bank freezers up on beef.
After the food drive concluded, county officials held a meeting to determine what worked and what they could do better next time. Williams said that the county commissioners plan to use the newly purchased software and the general process in the future for emergency events, such as mass evacuations caused by a wildfire.
County Leaders Praise Local Residents
“There’s a lot of good things that came out of a bad situation,” Williams said. “And it feels like to me that the community came together. There weren’t any ‘Republicans’ or ‘Democrats,’ everybody was helping people in need.”
During the effort, several business and organizations helped to raise food. Local schools, churches, government buildings and fire stations had collection locations where people could bring donations.
Further, several government representatives held two food drives at the Walmart and City Market in Woodland Park. First responders and government officials greeted shoppers and offered them a list of things they could buy to donate.
To sweeten the deal, both store managers put several items like canned foods on sale so that it would be cheaper for people to purchase things to donate. According to Williams, he saw a few people come out of the store with shopping carts filled to the top with items and watched them only take a thing or two out before giving the rest of the cart to help those in need.
During their efforts, county officials also found areas in the county where people are in need and are facing tough times. The Cripple Creek-Victor RE-1 School District has always had a program during which children, who are eligible for food programs offered at the schools, are given a backpack full of food to take home over the weekend. Now, a similar program exists at the Woodland Park RE-2 School District.
“We are now much better poised and prepared for the next time this happens should it happen,” Williams said. “Or if we had to evacuate several thousand people to a school during a wildfire. If we didn’t get the fire under control and people lost homes and were there for a week or something, we now have the ability to get food together and quickly distribute it, including for those with special needs.
In addition to raising food to help local nonprofit food banks, the county also helped keep the government-funded Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program. WIC specializes in providing necessary foods for pregnant women and young children. The county learned what was needed to help that population, as well as providing for those that have special dietary restrictions.
Throughout the process, Williams has continued to praise the citizens of Teller County.
“Essentially, 90 percent of the county helped 10 percent of the county who were people in need,” Williams said.
