LAFAYETTE, Colo. — On a fixed income, the opportunity for free groceries goes a long way.
"Believe me, it helps," Aljoana Gilmore said. "I got all kinds of mobility things. I have a scooter, a walker, canes, because I can’t walk on my own."
Gilmore said about two years ago, she got sick and couldn't run errands like she used to. She didn't have a caregiver, so she worried about how she'd get food on her plate.
"I don’t go out that much because it’s not that easy," Gilmore said. "So going to the grocery store is almost virtually impossible."
Through Community Food Share's Blue Spruce Neighbors program, those worries are gone.
"Every two weeks," Gilmore said. "We get the produce, like the best produce. I’m a pineapple fanatic. I get the best pineapples. They are so sweet. I get cantaloupes. Sometimes we get mini watermelons. We get corn. Lord knows we get carrots. Lord Jesus, we get carrots."
As much as Gilmore appreciates and looks forward to her biweekly food drops, she said the best part about every Thursday is seeing Rocco Scardello, her Blue Spruce Neighbors delivery driver.
"Rocco, I mean, c'mon," Gilmore said with a laugh. "Him and I have lots of fun. We talk about gardening, we talk about everything and we have a lot of fun."
Scardello said he shares the same feelings as Gilmore when it comes to spending time with one another.
"You feel the warmth of her home the minute you walk in," Scardello said. "We’ve even exchanged some plants, some potatoes, tomatoes. She loves food as well."
Scardello said he's been driving for Blue Spruce Neighbors for about a year.
"I like food," Scardello said. "Kind of made sense. And then it was a no brainer when I found out I could be helping people in need. I didn’t really know anything like this existed, so once I found it, it was something I was very eager to be a part of."
Scardello said he didn't understand the gravity of food insecurity in Colorado until he started working for Community Food Share.
"I mean when I first started working here, I was just amazed at the scale of people that we serve, and it’s just a small area," Scardello said. "It’s not that there isn’t enough food. It’s the resources to get them out to people who need it. That’s the hard part. That’s what Community Food Share has figured out. They've figured out how to get food out to the masses and it’s really humbling to be a part of."
Now, with Scardello's new career, he's become a "grandson" to roughly 30 participants across Boulder and Broomfield counties.
"You get to know them, their families, where they come from, what they do, what they’ve done," Scardello said. "And they get to know me too. It’s really personal. Very fun. I’ve really enjoyed it."
"I say, 'OK, I know you gotta go, Rocco, but just one more thing,'" Gilmore said with a smile. "And I keep him here. Sometimes I make him late, but it happens. He’s really a good guy to have around."
9NEWS works with Community Food Share and Blue Spruce Neighbors as part of our 9Cares Colorado Shares Drive. Learn how to make a donation here.
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