
Wonder where our food for Beyond Hunger comes from? Read our blog post.
The YMCA's Beyond Hunger food pantry program began at the Southwest YMCA in January 2021, following the YMCA of Metro Denver's response during the pandemic and growing food insecurity in the metro area.
Volunteers and staff provide balanced, nutritious food to the community and individuals of all ages can get a bag of groceries on a weekly basis.
We are currently distributing bags of food at the Southwest YMCA, 5181 W. Kenyon Ave., Denver, CO 80236 every Thursday from 4 to 6 PM.
Beyond Hunger bags are filled with a variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, proteins, dairy and grains. Quantity of bags are limited, so you must sign up every week to make sure we have a bag for you. Come by Southwest YMCA and pick up your bag curbside, without leaving your car!
Are you interested in volunteering for the Beyond Hunger food pantry program? Volunteers can help in many ways, including sorting groceries, filling bags, passing out bags of food and making connections with our community. Read our volunteer guidelines.
Thank you for considering a donation of food to our Beyond Hunger program! We accept donations dropped off at our Southwest YMCA. Please see our guidelines.
Beyond Hunger Drive - Aug. 1 - 14 | YMCAs & Select Summer Camp Sites
During the first two weeks of August, support the YMCA Beyond Hunger program. Established during the pandemic, the program provides food assistance to those in the community who need it. At YMCAs and select summer camp sites, we will collect items - both shelf-stable, non-perishable items and hygiene products - to help families during the transition back to school. Look for the drive at your YMCA.
Looking for other ways to support the Beyond Hunger program? Consider volunteering or a donation.
Donation Locations: Arvada YMCA | Aurora YMCA | Downtown YMCA | Littleton YMCA | Glendale Sports Center | Southwest YMCA | University Hills YMCA | Dennison Elementary - at pick up or drop off
The food donated during this food drive will directly support our Beyond Hunger program at the Southwest Y and Wyatt Academy. We will distribute the collected items to families in our Denver community that can support them especially during the transition of going back to school.
This YMCA Beyond Hunger Food drive will take place from August 1-14, 2022. We will start collecting items on Monday, August 1st and will stop collecting items for this food drive on Sunday, August 14th.
Donation boxes will be placed at YMCA centers across the Denver Metro area - University Hills YMCA, Southwest YMCA, Arvada YMCA, Aurora Family YMCA, Littleton Family YMCA, and Downtown YMCA, as well as Glendale Sports Center and Dennison Elementary School.
YMCA members and others in the community can bring the items to any of the locations listed above and place them in the donation boxes. At the YMCA wellness centers, collection boxes will be in the lobby area and will remain there for the duration of the 2 weeks of the food drive. There will be additional collection boxes located in the drop-off/pick-up areas of day camp sites at the University Hills YMCA, Arvada YMCA, and at Dennison Elementary School for families to donate items when dropping off or picking up their kids from camp.
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. A list of suggested items is below:
Grains/Starch
Proteins
Miscellaneous
Snacks & Breakfast Items
Baby food (preferably not in glass jars to avoid breakage)
Hygiene products
The Beyond Hunger program seeks to provide nutritious foods to families in the community who have limited access to these types of items. We ask that you keep this in consideration with the items you are donating (i.e., lower sugar cereals & granola bars, no candy, sodas, or items with high fructose corn syrup).