Before You Visit

Although there are so many people experiencing food insecurity, most don’t know how to visit a food bank.

Our mission is to provide food to ALL in need. One way we do that is through our Food Share no-cost markets. We have two Food Share locations – one in Fort Collins and one in Loveland – and a series of mobile markets throughout the county. At each location, we offer meat, bread, dairy products, fresh fruits and vegetables, and non-perishable food items at absolutely no charge to our clients. It’s more like visiting a grocery store than you might imagine!

Wondering about how to visit the Food Bank? Read below.

New Shopper Form

Before you visit one of our pantries for the first time, please take a few minutes to complete the New Client Form (options below). This form is requested for shoppers who have never visited before.

When you arrive to shop at any No-Cost Market and are not yet in our internal system of shoppers, we will ask you to complete this form before starting to shop. Completing it and bringing it with you on your first visit will save time and make your first visit more seamless.

When you visit for the first time, you may be asked some indentifying information, such as:

A photo ID
Information about your income
Where you live
Your family composition
Current federal benefits you currently receive (eg. SNAP)
- Receiving other benefits does not disqualify you from receiving food from our markets. We ask this information so we understand community need and plan accordingly.
- Also, our funding partners ask us to provide this information to them so your cooperation helps keep us funded!

The above items are not required to obtain food, but they help us keep and maintain data, and therefore funding. The one exception is for those seeking enrollment and participation in the United State Dept. of Agriculture’s Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP). To obtain CSFP commodities, a photo ID is required.

Returning shoppers will not need to do paperwork, only check-in at the registers upon entrance. However, from time to time, based on which programs you participate in, you will need to periodically recertify and confirm your information with the check-in staff.

Visit our Food Finder page to learn more about shopping times and locations.

If you are a pet parent and are in need of pet food, the Food Bank may be able to help. We partner with the Colorado Pet Pantry to host a pet pantry at our Lincoln Avenue location on the 4^th Saturday of the month. You can also contact the Animal Friends Alliance to learn more about their pet food assistance program.

CSFP & TEFAP Proxy Shopper Forms

A proxy form is used to assign an individual to pick up a CSFP box (aka Senior Box) in lieu of the senior client. It can also be used for monthly TEFAP commodities pickups.

FAQs:

It is essential that BOTH the client and proxy sign the form.
Food Bank clients/shoppers may assign more than one proxy shopper.
Once signed and completed, the proxy form is valid for one calendar year.
Even when a client/shopper has an assigned proxy, they are still welcome to pick up their own food when they are able.
An individual can be a proxy shopper for more than one person.
- An example for when this would apply naturally is someone shopping for many people who live in the same senior living facility.

The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP)

Qualifying individuals receive commodities one time per month through The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), a program of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Commodities typically consist of non-perishable and/or frozen food items.

To determine if you qualify for TEFAP, please review the income eligibility guidelines below. If you are unsure whether you qualify, please visit one of our pantry locations where a staff member or volunteer can assist you in the qualification process.

Learn more about this program and confirm current eligibility requirements here.

Household* Size	Max Weekly Income	Max Monthly Income
1	$579.23	$2,510.00
2	$786.15	$3,406.67
3	$993.08	$4,303.33
4	$1,200.00	$5,200.00
5	$1,406.92	$6,096.67
6	$1,613.85	$6,993.33
7	$1,820.77	$7,890.00
8	$2,027.69	$8,786.67
For each additional family member, add:	$206.92	$896.67

* A Household is defined as the total number of related or unrelated persons living at the same address who purchase, prepare, and consume food together. Household income is the combined income of said persons.

USDA Nondiscrimination Statement

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA. View more details here.