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Alvaro Diaz thanks community food bank volunteer Sigri Brundridge for a box of food Wednesday.
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — When Alvaro Diaz' construction job ended this year he took the first job he could find at a local car wash.
“I'm not making close to what I used to make,” Diaz said. “I've been applying everywhere but there is nothing.”
A good week he brings home $250. Sometimes it's $100.
Wednesday it looked like it might rain and so the car wash was closed.
Diaz, 41, came by the Community Food Bank Wednesday to pick up a small box of canned foods, bread and a few peaches donated by a Palisade farmer.
It's Diaz' second visit to the food bank.
“I had to leave my own apartment and move in with other people,” Diaz said. “I live with six people in a three-bedroom apartment.”
Diaz was one of a steady stream of clients who came for food assistance Wednesday. A younger person immediately rose to give up her seat to an elderly woman who came in after her.
“We used to see 1,400 to 1,500 people a month,” said program coordinator Jane Craig. The number of people seeking food assistance increased in January to 2,120 a month.
And “it hasn't slowed down at all,” Craig said. “And with the holidays coming it'll be even worse.”
The food bank purchases $8,000 to $10,000 worth of food each month to give away, Craig said.
Grand Junction's 23rd annual Crop Walk which takes place Sunday will help boost supplies at the food bank and other agencies such as Grand Valley Catholic Outreach, Child and Migrant Services, and The Agape Food Basket.
Catholic Outreach provides emergency food boxes, and a daily meal at its soup kitchen. Both have experienced “huge increases” in clients, said soup kitchen director Angela Walsh. The food box pantry is bare, and is continually dipping into the soup kitchen's supplies, Walsh said.
The soup kitchen is providing 250 hot meals a day, Walsh said. “It used to be rare that we'd have that many at the end of the month. There's a lot of new young faces.”
More people are also seeking food and other assistance at the Salvation Army.
“This time last year we were averaging (giving) 15 food boxes a week,” said Claudia Jackson, Salvation Army spokeswoman. “Now we're giving 10-12 a day.”
Last month the city of Grand Junction proclaimed October as Poverty Awareness Month.
The Crop Walk kicks off a number of events planned to raise awareness about hunger and poverty in Mesa County.
Each year the Grand Valley Interfaith Network — a consortium of local faith-based organizations — organize the Crop Walk to raise money for the various organization serving people who are hungry or homeless. The 2-mile round-trip walk starts at 1 p.m. on the Riverfront Trail near Blockbuster Video at Albertsons on The Redlands.
The Church World Service first began organizing Crop Walks 60 years ago to raise money and alleviate hunger worldwide. Last year crop walks and other events around the world raised $17 million. The local crop walk gives a portion of funds raised to the international effort and distributes 25 percent locally.
“It's all local. Whatever happens in Kenya affects us here,” said Karen Sjoberg, director of Grand Valley Peace and Justice — a member of the Grand Valley Interfaith Network.
People interested in joining the walk Sunday or donating to the Crop Walk can contact Sjoberg at 243-0136 or visit www.cropwalkonline.org.
Reach Sharon Sullivan at ssullivan@gjfreepress.com.
“I'm not making close to what I used to make,” Diaz said. “I've been applying everywhere but there is nothing.”
A good week he brings home $250. Sometimes it's $100.
Wednesday it looked like it might rain and so the car wash was closed.
Diaz, 41, came by the Community Food Bank Wednesday to pick up a small box of canned foods, bread and a few peaches donated by a Palisade farmer.
It's Diaz' second visit to the food bank.
“I had to leave my own apartment and move in with other people,” Diaz said. “I live with six people in a three-bedroom apartment.”
Diaz was one of a steady stream of clients who came for food assistance Wednesday. A younger person immediately rose to give up her seat to an elderly woman who came in after her.
“We used to see 1,400 to 1,500 people a month,” said program coordinator Jane Craig. The number of people seeking food assistance increased in January to 2,120 a month.
And “it hasn't slowed down at all,” Craig said. “And with the holidays coming it'll be even worse.”
The food bank purchases $8,000 to $10,000 worth of food each month to give away, Craig said.
Grand Junction's 23rd annual Crop Walk which takes place Sunday will help boost supplies at the food bank and other agencies such as Grand Valley Catholic Outreach, Child and Migrant Services, and The Agape Food Basket.
Catholic Outreach provides emergency food boxes, and a daily meal at its soup kitchen. Both have experienced “huge increases” in clients, said soup kitchen director Angela Walsh. The food box pantry is bare, and is continually dipping into the soup kitchen's supplies, Walsh said.
The soup kitchen is providing 250 hot meals a day, Walsh said. “It used to be rare that we'd have that many at the end of the month. There's a lot of new young faces.”
More people are also seeking food and other assistance at the Salvation Army.
“This time last year we were averaging (giving) 15 food boxes a week,” said Claudia Jackson, Salvation Army spokeswoman. “Now we're giving 10-12 a day.”
Last month the city of Grand Junction proclaimed October as Poverty Awareness Month.
The Crop Walk kicks off a number of events planned to raise awareness about hunger and poverty in Mesa County.
Each year the Grand Valley Interfaith Network — a consortium of local faith-based organizations — organize the Crop Walk to raise money for the various organization serving people who are hungry or homeless. The 2-mile round-trip walk starts at 1 p.m. on the Riverfront Trail near Blockbuster Video at Albertsons on The Redlands.
The Church World Service first began organizing Crop Walks 60 years ago to raise money and alleviate hunger worldwide. Last year crop walks and other events around the world raised $17 million. The local crop walk gives a portion of funds raised to the international effort and distributes 25 percent locally.
“It's all local. Whatever happens in Kenya affects us here,” said Karen Sjoberg, director of Grand Valley Peace and Justice — a member of the Grand Valley Interfaith Network.
People interested in joining the walk Sunday or donating to the Crop Walk can contact Sjoberg at 243-0136 or visit www.cropwalkonline.org.
Reach Sharon Sullivan at ssullivan@gjfreepress.com.
