Updates

We Don’t Waste is Awarded a Grant from Arapahoe County

June 10, 2026

We Don’t Waste is proud to share that we are grateful recipients of a grant from Arapahoe County to support our neighbors facing food insecurity. The grant will primarily support our food distribution events and partnerships in Arapahoe County.  

We Don’t Waste has many incredible partners in the area that support these food distribution efforts as well, namely: 

• Aurora Public Schools
• Cannon Learning Center
• Caring and Sharing Community Resources
• College Track Aurora
• Gelli’s Community Fridge Bridge House Englewood
• Goodwill Excel Center
• Movement 5280
• Prairie High/Middle School 
• Southwest Food Coalition
• Sunrise Elementary School
• The Don’t Look Back Center
• Village Exchange Center

Each of these partners plays a critical role in expanding the reach of our food distribution efforts. In 2025, these partnerships resulted in 2,369,635 servings of food distributed in the county. That is an estimated 789,878 meals in the community.

These partners serve youth and families through diverse program offerings, from after-school snack programs to distribution hubs serving thousands in the area. 

With a grant from Arapahoe County, We Don’t Waste can support regular food distributions and pickups from these partners and maintain the always-busy North Middle School Mobile Food Market. On average, the North Middle School Market serves an average of over 2,300 people per market. In 2025, the market provided 1,740,498 servings of food to an estimated 14,261 people.

Food insecurity has been on the rise and is now at levels higher than the peak of the COVID-era layoffs. With rising costs of essential goods, ever-increasing food prices, and stagnant wages, many families on the cusp are forced to skip meals, choosing between putting gas in their vehicles and paying utility bills over grabbing groceries. In addition, eligibility for the SNAP program has been reduced, with many enrolled recipients receiving less support for monthly access to funds. Even nonprofits are feeling the squeeze, with many of We Don’t Waste’s partners reporting greater need in their communities, meaning more food must be delivered while their operating budgets remain slim.

The support received from Arapahoe County will be essential as We Don’t Waste continues to provide essential food access to agency partners and directly to our neighbors in this critical time, and our team is grateful for the support.