What We Do
We provide hunger relief to Denver’s most disenfranchised humans.
Who?
Many folks who are experiencing homelessness are the folks you don’t see. People living in temporary housing, transitional housing or shelters account for about 70% of the total number of people experiencing homelessness in Metro Denver. The remaining folks are unsheltered, and they are the most visible face of homelessness and often the most vulnerable. Additionally, there is a gross overrepresentation of Black, Indigenous and people of color experiencing homelessness compared to their representation in the general population, making it clear that social inequities and systemic racism are at the root of this fast-growing problem of homelessness. These are the folks we aim to serve because these are the folks that, for myriad reasons, are unable to access the services that are available to the majority of unhoused people. We also serve people experiencing food insecurity through meal distribution to food apartheid neighborhoods through our partners at Denver Community Fridges.
What?
Each week we deliver hot, wholesome meals directly to tent encampments in and around the Five Points neighborhood, where we have lived and worked for over a decade. Each meal has a balance of protein, vegetable, starch and fat in order to maximize nutrition and satiation. We also provide bottled water and packaged snacks to round out our Giving Meals as those items are always in high demand from our guests.
Where?
We go where we are needed, with a focus on Five Points, Downtown, Uptown and Capitol Hill, which is where we typically find the largest unsheltered settlements. We also distribute meals to neighborhoods that are considered food apartheids through our partners at Denver Community Fridges.
When?
Every week on Tuesday we distribute our Giving Meals.
Why?
As former restaurant owners, operating The Preservery in the Five Points neighborhood for seven years, we were struck by how many folks were living in our neighborhood without shelter. When indoor dining was shut down because of the pandemic, in the winter of 2020, we decided to offer a “Giving Meal” option on our restaurant menu, which enabled guests to purchase a meal for someone in need and enabled the restaurant to cover all our food and labor costs associated with meal production and delivery. The more we did this hunger relief work, the more we realized how great the need is, and also how uniquely suited the restaurant industry is to provide hunger relief to people in need. And, of course, we found it deeply fulfilling during a time when we were struggling. We also wanted to take an active stance in favor of providing services to our neighbors in need, while so many other businesses in the neighborhood were actively opposing their presence and supporting their traumatic displacement.
How?
We work with other folks from the restaurant industry and rely on donations and volunteer efforts to keep this program going. Thanks to the generous support of the community we are able to provide meals for folks in need on a weekly basis.