Dolores Family Project food pantry is continuing weekly food distributions for local families.
The pantry operates every Tuesday from 4–6 p.m. at the Dolores Community Center. Organizers said the community center has agreed to host the distribution temporarily while the project works to secure funding for a storage shed that will allow the program to operate independently.
All community members are welcome to attend and receive food, with no questions asked, said program coordinator Amber Lansing.
“The community center decided to go ahead and let us keep distributing out of the community center until we get our shed set up,” Lansing said.
For several months, the Dolores Family Project has been trying to secure a location for its operations since having to relocate last September from the Dolores Southern Baptist Church on 21st Street.
The original shed they planned to purchase, a discounted repossessed unit, was sold recently.
The organization has another shed in mind but needs additional funds.
“The one in mind is very similar to the one we had picked out, but we’re about $2,500 short of purchasing that,” she said.
Lansing said the group is planning a fundraiser to help purchase a storage shed for the program and will share details with the community in the coming weeks.
“We’ll put out something such as a donation portal or something we can launch online, and I did apply for other grants too to try to come up with the difference,” Lansing said.
Lansing said preparations for the garden beds at the community garden located in Joe Rowell Park are expected to begin in April, and organizers are looking for volunteers.
The Dolores Community Garden, part of the Dolores Family Project, aims to provide fresh produce for local families and offer opportunities for residents to learn about gardening. Work in the spring typically includes clearing beds, prepping soil, repairing garden infrastructure and planting early season crops.
A planning meeting is scheduled for 1 p.m. next Tuesday at the community garden.
For more information or to volunteer, community members may contact organizer Amber Lansing at 970‑844‑4567.
Lansing said the organization’s backpack program, which provides food to students to take home on weekends, is expected to resume at the start of the next school year once a storage shed is secured. In the meantime, families who previously participated in the program can contact Lansing for weekly assistance.
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