What is the Denver YMCA’s Beyond Hunger Program?  


The Beyond Hunger program started as the YMCA’s response to the drastic uptick in food insecurity during the 2020 Pandemic – Feeding America estimates that food insecurity in Colorado increased by nearly 20% due to the pandemic. That means 1 in 8 people—almost 700,000 of our neighbors, including nearly 185,000 children—is unable to access the food they need, an increase from 1 in 10 in 2019. Today, the issue of food insecurity has not gone away, with food prices continuing to rise. The YMCA Beyond Hunger program seeks to provide ongoing food assistance to those in the community who need it.

Every week, we distribute a variety of fresh and shelf stable foods that include grain/starch items, dairy items, fresh fruits and vegetables, and protein foods. Food distribution occurs every Thursday from 4-6pm at our Southwest YMCA. The program is open to anyone in the community at no cost to them.

Just since the start of 2024, we have distributed over 12,000 pounds of food, serving about 70 households every week, with an average of 227 unique adults and children served every month.

Our community nutrition team also provides weekly nutrition enrichment lessons to youth at several of our afterschool sites in the area. These schools have higher rates of youth participating in free and reduced school meal programming, which means they rely on school for many of their meals. Over the past year, we have worked to extend our Beyond Hunger initiatives into these spaces to meet our community where they’re at and support access to nutritious foods for those families we serve.

Through the incredible support of volunteers, community partners and our YMCA family, the impact of Beyond Hunger can continue to grow across the Denver Metro area.    

Visit our Beyond Hunger page on our Denver YMCA website.

The items donated during this food drive will directly support the Y’s food access initiatives. Through our Beyond Hunger program, we will distribute the collected items to families in our Denver Metro community to support the transition from the school year into summer, a challenging time for the many families whose children rely on school for nutritious meals.

This YMCA Beyond Hunger Food drive will take place from May 6 – May 18, 2024. 

Collection will occur at YMCA centers across the Denver Metro area:

  • University Hills YMCA
  • Southwest YMCA
  • Arvada YMCA
  • Aurora Family YMCA
  • Littleton Family YMCA
  • Downtown YMCA
  • Glendale Sports Center 
  • Centennial YMCA Center of Generations. 

YMCA members and others in the community can bring the items to any of the locations listed above and place them in the labeled collection boxes. Collection boxes will be located in the lobby areas of all wellness centers and remain there for the duration of the 2 weeks of the food drive. You may notice we are using Food Bank of the Rockies donation boxes – this is because we are a proud partner of Food Bank of the Rockies. With their support, as well as other community partners, Beyond Hunger remains a sustainable program

Since this food drive will be ongoing for 2 weeks, we are asking for donations of shelf-stable, non-perishable items only. We also ask that items not be in glass jars to avoid breakage during collection. Easy-open cans are appreciated, as well for those who may not have access to a kitchen or kitchen tools. The items collected during this drive will support individuals and families in our community, with a particular focus on youth with limited access to nutritious foods as they go back to school. 
 

A list of suggested items is below:

Grains/Starch 

  • Rice/grains
  • Microwavable noodles 
  • Boxed Mac n Cheese 
  • Pasta & canned tomato sauce

Proteins 

  • Canned chicken, tuna, salmon, ham 
  • Canned or dried beans & lentils
  • Canned soups

Snacks & Breakfast Items 

  • Granola bars 
  • Instant oatmeal 
  • Individual packaged cereals  
  • Applesauce pouches/cups 
  • Fruit snacks or dried fruit 
  • 100% fruit juice boxes 
  • Shelf-stable milk/ non-dairy milks

Baby food (preferably not in glass jars to avoid breakage)

Hygiene products 

  • Toothbrush/paste
  • Shampoo, conditioner, bodywash, soap, sponge/loofa
  • Toilet paper
  • Diapers /baby wipes 
  • Feminine products
     
  • Please check to make sure that the food you are donating has not expired and is also not set to expire within six (6) months of donation. 
     
  • Since this is a 2-week long collection period, we are asking for shelf-stable items only and NO perishable items that require refrigeration. Please note, we will always accept donations of perishable food items at our Southwest YMCA location as these can be distributed quickly through our weekly food distribution. 
     
  • The Beyond Hunger program seeks to provide nutritious foods to families in the community who have limited access to these types of items. All food is good food and we will accept any donation, but we appreciate donations of items that can help fill gaps in nutrition, such as lower sugar cereals & granola bars and limiting donations of candy or sugary beverages

Yes, there will be a way for people to make a monetary donation to support the mission of the YMCA of Metro Denver and the Beyond Hunger Drive. There are two ways members can donate: 
 

  1. By scanning a QR code to get to our donation page or  
  2. Using a credit/debit card in a Dip Jar   
     

Scanning the QR code is simple and secure. The QR code opens a donation form where any amount of support may be selected.  

It is easy to donate with the Dip Jar – simply dip a credit card in the jar, and a secure contribution will be processed right away. If you’d like to contribute more, you can use the Dip Jar as many times as you’d like. Each “dip” will process a gift of $10. Dip Jars will be available at the front desk of our University Hills, Littleton, Downtown, Southwest, and Arvada YMCA centers. 
 

Why a $10 donation? 
A contribution of $10 helps support the mission of the YMCA and could provide food or hygiene products to families in need. A donation could provide shelf stable foods like grain/starches, canned proteins, fruit snacks and juices, in addition to hygiene products like toothpaste, shampoo and diapers. 
 

Who can I contact with questions about donations or other ways I can contribute? 
Please contact James Knowles with any questions about your contribution and other ways to support the work of the Y. His email is jknowles@denverymca.org.