LARIMER COUNTY, Colo. — Drivers across northern Colorado play a pivotal role in providing millions of pounds of food to Larimer County residents. These individuals are part of the Food Bank for Larimer County Food Rescue Program. It is a project the organization has ran for about 35 years.
"We try to save the most we can," Jesus Muro, a driver for the nonprofit, explained during one of his routes earlier this month. Muro travels to grocery stores five days a week to pick up perishable items like meat, bread and dairy products that would otherwise go to waste.
"My route is eight stops every single day. So I do about 20,000 pounds a week," Muro said. "When I come to the food bank and my truck is full, I feel like I'm proud like I did it!"
Muro has a reason to be proud. The food rescue program picks up about 3.2 million pounds of food every year, the Food Bank of Larimer County said. Only 2-4% of the food is thrown away and most of that is used as compost or animal feed.
The items that are rescued in Fort Collins land on the food bank floor Josh Greene runs.
"They are pulling the stuff off of the shelves, it’s totally safe to eat but just isn’t going to be sold before either it expires or they need to make space for new stuff and they’re setting it aside for us," Greene, the Operations Director at Food Bank for Larimer County, said.
"It’s a great way to reduce food waste to capture everything that could possible be eaten and get it to the people who need it the most," Greene said.
Need is something Jesus knows a thing or two about. The employee at the food bank said he dropped out of college decades ago because he needed to provide for his family.
"I didn't know that there were food banks," he admitted. "Otherwise maybe [I would say], 'Hey mom lets go to the food bank so we can get help so I can keep studying and go to school,' but I didn't know."
With each cartload drivers pick up, those with the Food Bank for Larimer County hope awareness grows. They want people to know who they are and what they can provide.
"I’m very glad that there is a food bank," Muro added. "It helps [people] transition to a better life."
There are more than 30 local stores that donate to the Food Bank of Larimer County but they're always looking for more. If a business is interested in signing up or making a large donation they can contact the Food Resource Manager via email or call 970-530-3111.