Greenwood Village, Colo. – Nov. 14, 2022 – Bellco Credit Union will join the 9Cares Colorado Shares campaign Nov. 11 through Dec. 11, 2022, by pledging $50,000 in matching support for Food Bank of the Rockies.
“Bellco has been a longtime supporter of Food Bank of the Rockies—an organization working to fight hunger throughout Colorado by providing food and other essentials to more than 800 hunger-relief programs to distribute 178,000 meals each day,” Jenna McFarlane, vice president of marketing at Bellco, said. “We hope others will join this important campaign to alleviate hunger in Colorado. Anything will help make a difference. In fact, $1 helps provide enough food for three meals.”
According to Food Bank of the Rockies, need is higher than 2019 with inflation pushing families to make difficult choices. Donations support the majority of the Food Bank’s operating expenses, including sourcing culturally responsive foods, funding kids’ programs, and more. $1 helps provide enough food for three meals thanks to Food Bank of the Rockies’ robust purchasing power, grocery rescue program, federal government allotments, donations, and lower bulk pricing from agricultural and retail partners.
“On average each month, we spend over $1.3 million to purchase food – more than
triple what we were spending pre-COVID,” said Erin Pulling, President & CEO at Food Bank of the Rockies. “With inflation at a 40-year high, we’re relying on community support to distribute enough food to meet the increased need.”
A few examples of how inflation is affecting food costs (year-over-year cost increases):
- Potatoes: 71% increase
- Sweet corn: 61% increase
- Onions: 50% increase
If you’re interested in supporting Food Bank of the Rockies, you can donate online at http://support.foodbankrockies.org/9cares.
9NEWS will be hosting the very first 9Cares Colorado Shares Telethon on Thurs., Nov. 17 kicking off in their 4:30 a.m. newscast and going all day through their 10 p.m. newscast. Volunteers from 9NEWS, Food Bank of the Rockies, King Soopers, Lifetime Windows and Waste Management will be standing by to answer the phones when viewers call to make donations.
Bellco seeks to make an impact within its communities in the areas of financial education, quality of life, and arts & culture. Bellco recently donated a major gift of $100,000 to Food Bank of the Rockies to support the construction of their new Western Slope Etkin Family Distribution Center, which is scheduled to open this December. The 50,400-square-foot warehouse and food distribution center will allow Food Bank of the Rockies to relocate from its existing 28,600-square-foot facility in Palisade to a larger, modernized space that includes a Volunteer Center, made possible by Bellco, to mobilize more volunteers to end hunger.
To learn more about how Bellco supports our community visit Bellco Gives Back.
About Bellco
Bellco is one of Colorado’s largest financial institutions, with more than $6 billion in assets and 28 branches in Colorado. Founded in 1936, Bellco offers a full range of financial products and services including home equity loans, auto loans and checking accounts. Today, Bellco has more than 350,000 members who benefit from the advantages of a credit union, including lower interest rates on loans, higher yields on savings and access to thousands of ATMs nationwide. Connect with Bellco on Facebook and Twitter. Bellco is federally insured by NCUA and is an Equal Housing Opportunity Lender.
