Our founder, Sandy Bowden, was a pioneer for her time when she first imagined what impact a Food Bank could have on its community.
As local hunger-relief organizations struggled to have the resources to source food from multiple locations, she pictured a one-stop shop where these operations could easily and dependably stock their shelves to support their nutrition programs — simplifying and creating unity in the mission to fight hunger together.
Back in 1984, this dream paved the way for a food procurement and distribution hub that still distributes millions of pounds of food to organizations today.
As we begin 2026 with the same mission, we remain inspired—like our founder—by a vision of what could be: shaking up the status quo and completely transforming how people think of food banks.
For example, those unfamiliar with our work generally marvel when they get the chance to see our No Cost Markets in action. Designed similar to a grocery store, those that use this service grab a grocery cart and walk through our market floor to choose from dairy, protein, bakery, and the produce options they want to eat.
When it comes to food procurement, the Food Bank is proud of its focus to offer our clients a variety of produce.
We view food as medicine, which is why ensuring that fresh fruits and vegetables are among the choices our clients associate with our markets is of crucial importance to us.
At the center of it all are the people in our community. Their experiences shape how we grow and improve our services. Through regular focus groups and ongoing dialogue, we work side by side to build the solutions Larimer County needs to end hunger once and for all.
Every year brings new challenges, and 2026 will be no exception. The passage of the OB3 (the Budget Reconciliation Bill) means more impossible choices for people whose budgets are already strained. This will place greater demand on food banks across the nation.
When we think of these new challenges, while looking back at our roots, we find an intersection in Sandy’s original calling to her community:
“It is within our power to see that no one in Larimer County goes hungry. It is up to each of us as individuals to make this happen.”
