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West End Family Link asks Montrose County for urgent funding to keep food pantry running
Summary
Jody Gardner, executive director of the West End Family Link Center, told the BOCC the pantry serves isolated communities across the West End and is operating at a scale and cost that requires urgent county support to maintain services.
Jody Gardner, executive director of the West End Family Link Center in Nucla, appealed to the Montrose County Board of County Commissioners for "urgent support" to keep the organization's food pantry operating across a sparsely populated region of the county. Gardner said the Link serves families, seniors, veterans and children across more than 2,000 square miles and described the area as "one of the most isolated regions in Colorado," where residents can drive up to 90 minutes to reach services.
Gardner said the Link is a key hunger-relief partner of the Food Bank of the Rockies and described rising need and shrinking grant funding. She told commissioners that less than 5% of the Link's budget comes from government funds and that the organization spends about $1,250 weekly on staples and proteins. "This is more than a food pantry. West End Family Link Center is a critical part of our community safety net," Gardner said. She provided counts of operations over the past year and asked the BOCC to consider community partnership funding to sustain the pantry.
Commissioners thanked Gardner for the presentation and noted timing concerns tied to the county's budget process; several members urged staff to include community partners in any follow-up discussions. The board did not vote or make a funding commitment during the work session.
