At DP, we think each of our departments has a knack for seeing needs in our community and finding creative ways to fill them. Our Community Outreach Department, in particular, is tasked with serving the folks who need extra help caring for a loved one with a developmental disability/delay. Some of these folks are waiting for federal or state funds, others may experience circumstances that require additional assistance. As a way to fill the basic need for food and everyday household items, the Community Outreach team started the Pathways Pantry in 2010. The pantry is a consistent resource for individuals and families served through any of DP’s programs. Case Managers and Coordinators in every department work with families to provide specific items that they need. Both our Aurora and Inverness offices have pantries on hand to serve folks right where they’re at.
For a long while, the pantry has been primarily stocked by DP staff members with occasional assistance from other community partners. In case you can’t tell, our team really does have a personal investment in the work that we do. Our staff holds a donation once a month to collect specific items that families need. Recently, several businesses and other organizations have become significant partners in this effort. Their increased assistance is changing the way we run the Pantry for the better!
During the month of April, the Pathways Pantry got a new look!
The new fully stocked pantry
Thanks to the incredible generosity of our friends at Skyview Academy and Sagitec, we are fully stocked and able to distribute an assortment of items to families and individuals in need! Skyview donated a whopping 298 items and Sagitec donated 346 items for a combined value of $737!
The team from Sagitec Denver
We have also been approved for a partnership with Food Bank of the Rockies. This partnership will ensure a consistently larger influx of food rather than relying solely on the generosity of staff donations. With our pantry fully stocked, we look forward to fulfilling more needs than ever before! We couldn’t have made this progress without our community partners. Thank you to everyone who is helping us find new ways to work together in the community!
If you would like to donate time or resources to helping maintain our pantry, please contact Allison Meyer: a.meyer@dpcolo.org.
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