Same Vision. New Name.
Colorado Springs Food Rescue is now Food to Power
Founded in 2013, our flagship program designed to reduce food waste while increasing food access, quickly evolved into our “organism with a mission” — multi-faceted programming working together to cultivate a healthy, equitable food system in the greater Colorado Springs community.
So, we’ve recently changed our name and look from Colorado Springs Food Rescue to Food to Power in order to reflect the breadth of work we do more clearly.
We know that food is an essential source of everyone’s power to work, play, serve, and live. Our mission is to transform every aspect of our food system into co-powerment and equity. From food, to power.
Looking ahead
“On behalf of Food to Power’s board, staff, and volunteers I’m honored to take the helm and present to you our 2021-2023 Strategic Plan. This plan represents years of toil, heart-centered internal and external conversations, strategic planning, feedback from community members, stakeholders, and partners throughout the county and state…”
From our 2021-2023 strategic plan’s Letter from our Executive Director
Vision
We envision a world where communities heal and thrive in relationship with food, land, and each other.
Mission
To cultivate a healthy, equitable food system in the greater Colorado Springs community.
Our three pillars of action:
Food Access
Over $6 million of healthy groceries redistributed since 2013.
Using a "direct redistribution" model, Food to Power transports surplus healthy foods from local supermarkets, backyard gardens and cafeterias to 20+ non-profit and community-based grocery programs.
We do this by engaging an expansive network of volunteers and partners and co-creating healthy food access programs with the neighborhood.
Food Education
Food insecurity is not separate from the context of our wider food system.
At Food to Power, we see learning as something we all get to do together, at any age. Every summer FLY Youth Interns teach us so much about how they see their world. And during the school year we partner with many neighbors to create learning experiences for people of all ages. Through project-based youth internships/employment, community workshops & events, and online experiences, we aim to foster leaders in food innovation and promoters of food equity in our community.
Food Production
Over 95% of the food we eat comes from outside our community.
We redistribute healthy produce from overgrown gardens into our grocery programs and return the nutrients from household food waste back into the soil.
In 2019, we began digging into more intensive food production with our most ambitious project yet: developing Colorado Springs’ first neighborhood food center - Hillside Hub!
Our Core Values
COLLABORATION
Diversity and cooperation push the boundaries of what communities can achieve. From our very beginning, we have been building relationships, partnerships and coalitions throughout our city, thriving on a culture of collaboration.
CO-POWERMENT
No one knows the inequities in our food system better than those who have been directly affected by them. We work to build power and nurture opportunity with our city’s most under-resourced communities.
COMMUNITIES
Strong localities are rooted in relationships that cross generational, neighborhood, class and racial barriers. Our work is grassroots and participatory. We value the diverse ‘ways of knowing’ that are brought to the table by the people that make up our organization.
EQUITY
Equity means redistributing wealth, power, and resources counter to the historical and intersectional nature of oppression.
RESILIENCE
A community’s branches are only as long as its roots. When the going gets tough, we are committed to digging our heels in and supporting each other as community and family.
INNOVATION
We continually push ourselves to build resourceful, creative ways to achieve community nourishment.