Denver Public Schools opens free grocery store to help families with food insecurity
Denver Public Schools is opening a free grocery store at Place Bridge Academy to help families that are dealing with food insecurity. The free grocery store will be a part of the DPS' new Community Hubs, through the Family and Community Engagement Department (FACE). This is to provide access to resources and help build relationships with the community around schools in DPS.
"We have things for them to access that's what these hubs were created for," said Michaelle Salvador, Manager of Operations for Denver Public School's Family and Community Engagement Department (FACE). "They're community services, that's why they are called community hubs. So, they are an amazing way for us to serve the community with needs that others don't have."
This store gives families in need a chance to grab fresh produce, canned foods, and meat all free of charge. The free store is needed as 33% of Denver's population deals with food insecurity, according to a study conducted by Hunger Free Colorado.
"Even though this is to help the community, this is also a small helping hand for me, and it does so much for my children," said Christy Rodriguez who is a parent to one of the students at Place Bridge Academy.
To bring this to light, DPS partnered with Denver Mayor Michael Hancock and the Atlanta-based non-profit Goodr, which helps with hunger relief. The Goodr Grocery store is financed through Amazon and Atena.
Families can access the resources through a referral system. Families can be referred by teachers or staff at schools in DPS or families can fill out their information on DPS' Community Hub website. After DPS receives the referral, they make an appointment with the family in need to complete an intake with basic questions.
Afterwards, the family can shop at the store once a week and the only documentation that is required is that the family must be a resident of Denver.
"This has been needed for a long time. I've seen it in other states and in other counties and we appreciate seeing this right in our neighborhood and our community," Rodriguez said.
