This year’s Cans Around the Oval food drive set a new record for collecting food and funds for the Food Bank for Larimer County – a total impact of 345,514 pounds of food that will help feed the hungry throughout the county. The Student Leadership, Involvement and Community Engagement office at CSU, which leads the effort every year, thanks every member of the Ram Family who participated in Cans.

But, as the season of thankfulness and gratitude quickly approaches, we recognize that there are Larimer County residents who will not have access to food. For nearly 36,000 individuals in our community, the holidays add more stress to their struggle to make ends meet. 

Each year, the Food Bank collects, stores and distributes frozen turkeys to agency partners, including the Vineyard, the Family Center, House of Neighborly Service and Crossroads Ministry in Estes Park. These and other partner agencies, in turn, provide holiday meals and/or holiday meal baskets to low-income residents. In addition to turkeys, the Food Bank also provides holiday “fixin’s,” including packaged stuffing, canned yams and cranberries.

This year, the Food Bank will need 2,750 turkeys, 1,200 bags or boxes of stuffing, 900 cans of cranberries and 1,800 cans of yams/sweet potatoes, beyond what is currently in inventory, to fulfill all requests.

SLiCE is sponsoring a monetary online drive to purchase turkeys and other holiday meal items for the Food Bank now through Saturday, Nov. 21. This is strictly online, so SLiCE will not be accepting food or cash donations in the office.

If you would like to make a donation, use this link to make your donation directly to the Food Bank.

For more information, contact the SLiCE Office at 970-491-1682.