The need for food assistance has increased since the COVID-19 pandemic, and local food banks have stepped up to help.Fresh Start Center, a food pantry that serves Colorado Springs and surrounding areas, completely reshaped the way they served the community.When the virus first hit the United States, the pantry took a step back to best address the situation. With the grocery store shelves empty and 40% of volunteers electing to stay at home for their own safety, Fresh Start Center had to make adjustments, said Grant Winger, executive director of Fresh Start Center.Fresh Start Center first committed to following all safety precautions. Masks and hand sanitizer are available to anyone who walks inside the building, and a limited number of people are allowed in the lobby at a time. When the pandemic first hit, the food pantry even quarantined the received food for two weeks to ensure it was safe to handle.ìI think the biggest thing is that we continue learning through all of this,î Winger said. ìRecently, we have seen a lot of people come in Ö we are doing everything we can to keep people safe.îTo keep everyone as safe as possible, the pantry developed a pullup service so donations could be loaded into vehicles without contact. Although the new safety precautions kept people in their cars, Winger said that human interaction was still an important part of the process.ìWe lost a little bit of human interaction that people enjoy once a month,î Winger said. ìSo we stand across the parking lot a little bit and chat with people through the car windows.îThe number of new families requesting donations each week since COVID-19 averages about 60 per month ó up from 25 new families a month before the pandemic, Winger said. Any family from El Paso, Elbert or Lincoln counties that has a need for food can visit the Fresh Start Center. New families are required to provide proof of address and fill out an application form.Fresh Start Center received fresh produce from farms and help from several food drives put on by local Boy Scout troops. However, they are in need of some monetary and food donations to help fill the shelves. Donations can be made in person, through the mail or through the Fresh Start Center website.ìYou can really feel the community support that everybody wants to be safe but also help their neighbors,î Winger said. ìEveryone has been able to maintain some sense of normality through all of this.îOverall, Winger is amazed by the amount of support the community has already shown.ìWe are so grateful for the community support,î Winger said. ìThe one thing that I have seen is the love for the community when things get tough. There is a lot of love and support from people in the area.Fresh Start Center is open Tuesday and Thursday, from 10 a.m. through 4 p.m., and the first and third Wednesdays of each month, from 4 through 6 p.m.To learn more about receiving donations, make donations or learn about volunteer opportunities, visit https://freshstartcenter.com.
