Food Bank
"AND THE KING WILL ANSWER THEM, 'TRULY, I SAY TO YOU, AS YOU DID IT TO ONE OF THE LEAST OF THESE MY BRETHREN, YOU DID IT TO ME.'" MATTHEW 25:40ABOUT US
Our St. John the Baptist Food Bank was established in 2002 based on the idea of “feeding the poorest of the poor in our community without turning anyone away.” We provide weekly food assistance boxes to individuals and families within the Longmont community who are struggling with difficult times in their lives. We turn no one away, regardless of job status, living situation, or religious affiliation. As Christians, we are called upon to respond to the needs of all our brothers and sisters, and those with the greatest needs require the greatest response.
CONTACT US
E-mail: foodbank@johnthebaptist.org
Phone: 303-678-1469
Location: 804 S. Lincoln Street Longmont, CO 80501
BUSINESS HOURS
10:30 am to 6:30 pm on Tuesday
10:30 am to 5:00 pm on Wednesday
10:30 am to 1:00 pm on Thursday
HOW TO GET HELP
New clients need to fill out an application either in person at the Food Bank, or online via clicking the links below. You can also contact us at the Food Bank via phone or email if you need assistance with your application. A phone interview can be arranged – though please be prepared for delays in scheduling and processing.
The application asks for basic information such as name, address, phone number, members of the household, dietary restrictions and allergies, and income-expense estimates. We also ask for a photocopy of a current photo ID (such as a driver’s license or passport) that we keep as part of our records for identification purposes. You do not need to be a member of St. John the
Baptist Parish to receive assistance.
WHAT WE CANNOT PROVIDE
The Food Bank is devoted exclusively to providing food assistance. As such, we cannot offer non-food items (except for infant diapers, which we can provide in limited amounts). Nor can we assist with rent, utilities, security deposits, gasoline, repairs, medical bills, housing help, or job searches.
As an outreach ministry, we do maintain a list of local and county service groups who may be able to assist you with non-food-related needs. Please contact Michael Merrell at the Food Bank for contact information.
DONATIONS
Our ministry relies exclusively on the generosity of our Parish and our community. Non-perishable food donations can be made at the St. John the Baptist Parish or at the Food Bank warehouse during regular business hours. Please be mindful of expiration dates on all packaging. We are not able to accept any damaged packages or containers, nor are we able to re-package food on site. If you have any questions regarding donations, please contact us by phone or by email.
Monetary donations can be sent to either location as well – with checks made out to “St. John the Baptist Food Bank.” SJB Parishioners can also make donations by credit card via FaithDirect. Just enter “Food Bank” under the Notes field.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
If you are interested in helping out ministry, we are always looking for assistance in the following area: Warehouse Volunteers (stock shelves, prepare deliveries, build food boxes, process donations, package produce, and general cleaning), Backup Warehouse Volunteers (on-call volunteers to help cover warehouse duties when we are short-handed), Regular Drivers (deliver 3-5 food boxes to the same families once a week), and Substitute Drivers (on-call drivers who fill in when a regular driver is unable to deliver their weekly route). Please contact the Food Bank for more information if you would like to become a volunteer.
NEWS AND UPDATES
The Food Bank continues to follow recommended CDC and Boulder County Health guidelines for safety and cleanliness. In keeping with health and safety recommendations, we continue to ask that you do not visit the Food Bank if you are sick in any way or have tested positive for COVID-19. If you have had a recent close exposure to COVID-19, we ask that you wear a mask while visiting our warehouse and take advantage of our curb-side service. Thank you for doing your part to keep yourself and our hard-working volunteers safe and healthy!
Current Food Bank Needs
Our most common staple food items include: Oatmeal, dry cereal, canned and dry beans or lentils, canned chili, canned stew, canned pasta meals, canned soup, canned tomato products (esp. pasta sauces), canned vegetables, canned or dried fruit, canned tuna and tuna packets, canned meat (chicken, sausages, etc.), dry pasta and noodles, rice or couscous, instant macaroni-and-cheese, peanut butter, jelly and jam, and miscellaneous “instant” sides and meals (such as rice, potatoes, stuffing, pastas, etc.).
While not goods we usually stock, we are also happy to receive any of the following: Baking mixes and baking materials (oils, sugar, flour, etc.), shelf-stable milk (particularly non-dairy varieties), fruit and vegetable juices, sandwich bread, condiments of all sorts, granola and protein bars, and snack crackers. We also eagerly accept food items that cater to allergies and diet restrictions, including low-salt, low-fat, low- or no-sugar, dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan, and organic products.
We are also always glad to receive donations of produce, cheese, butter, yogurt, meat, and eggs. If you would like to donate such items, they should be brought directly to the Food Bank warehouse for refrigeration. When possible, please bring such perishable donations earlier in the week (preferably on Tuesdays) so that we have the opportunity to sort and allocate the food for the same week.
Lastly, we are very much in need of donations for diapers (both children and adult sizes), baby wipes, baby food and formula, empty egg cartons, and sturdy mid-sized boxes.
While we will accept donations of personal hygiene and cleaning products, we do not normally distribute these to our clients. We will either gift such donations to our clients per individual
requests or re-donate the items to HOPE or the OUR Center.
Thank you for your support and prayers!