GPHC Command Central: Getting Lucky
’Tis A Privilege To Live And Work In Park Hill
By Lori Midson
Executive Director, GPHC, Inc.
As luck would have it, I’m writing this column on Saint Patrick’s Day. Luck. What is luck? Webster’s defines it as “a force that brings good fortune or adversity.” Best of luck. Out of luck. No such luck.
“Luck” is a weird word. But today, while the bars are overrun with imbibers clinking their pints of Guinness, I’m thinking about how lucky I am — and not just because I’m Irish.
I’m lucky — extremely lucky — to spearhead the day-to-day operations of a longstanding and beloved organization that gives so much back to its immediate community through our five, no-cost food programs, sustainability efforts and initiatives, monthly community meetings and full slate of annual events.
I’m beyond lucky to work alongside a simply amazing team of food panty volunteers who show up early, stay late and distribute nourishment to an ever-increasing population of food-insecure families.
To date this year, our tireless and sometimes taxed volunteers have distributed 22,000 pounds of food to 1,720 individuals. At this time last year, they’d distributed 5,600 pounds of food to 400 individuals. That’s an increase of nearly 124 percent. Our food pantry volunteers are rockstars, as is Sandy, our office coordinator who’s celebrating her one-year anniversary with Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. this month. I’m lucky to have her as my sidekick.
And I’m incredibly lucky to live — and work — in a community chock full of kind and generous neighbors and businesses that go above and beyond to support our food programs (please keep your food pantry donations coming!), sustainability initiatives and neighborhood cleanups, the Greater Park Hill News and our yearly fundraising events — including the Park Hill Garden Walk, Home Tour & Street Fair and our Fall Festival at Axum Park.
I’ve had the honor and privilege to talk with many of you at the office, on the sidewalk, at a local coffeehouse and our events, and I am so lucky to call many of you friends.
Thank you, as always, to all our donors and volunteers for your kindness, in-kind and financial contributions, involvement and dedication to GPHC. You are so appreciated.
Current Food Pantry Needs
We accept donations at our office at 2823 Fairfax St. between 9:15 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays, between noon and 5 p.m. on Tuesdays and on Saturdays with advance notice. You can also drop off non-expired donations at Mayfair Liquors (at 14th and Krameria) and the Park Hill Library (at Montview and Dahlia). Our food pantry needs are updated weekly on our website:
greaterparkhill.org/food-
programs/emergency-food-pantry/. In the meantime, if you’re at the grocery store, please consider donating a few items from the list below:
• Canned fish, chicken and Spam
• Pasta and pasta sauce
• Canned chili and hearty soups and stews
• Canned refried, pinto, navy and kidney beans
• Canned pineapple, oranges and peaches
• Salt, pepper and jarred spices and seasonings
• Shelf-stable pasta and rice packaged meals
• Tomato paste and tomato sauce
• Canola, olive and vegetable oil
• Cereal, oatmeal and pancake mixes
• Milk, butter, cheese and eggs
• Instant coffee packets
• Apples, oranges and bananas
• Toilet paper, paper towels and Kleenex
• Travel-size toiletries
• Reusable shopping bags
While we’re always grateful for your donations, please, please be mindful of food expiration dates. For safety reasons, we will not accept expired food items. And please do not leave donations outside our office door. Thank you for abiding by these guidelines.
The following organizations and individuals donated to and volunteered with Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. in March:
Churches,
businesses
and
organizations
Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church
City and County Denver Public Works
Cure D’Ars Catholic Church
Curtis Park Deli
Dahlia Campus Farms and Gardens
Denver Public Library
Food Bank of the Rockies
Mayfair Liquors
Messiah Community Church
Park Hill Branch Library
Park Hill United Church of Christ
Park Hill United Methodist Church
St. Thomas Episcopal Church
Starbucks
Woodgrain Bagels
Individuals
and
Families
Sylvia Aldena
Janey and Harmon Alpert
Penny Ashley-Lawrence
Cathy Bauchwitz
Tamar Berner
Bill Bettag
Simon Blamires
Heather Blanchard and William White
Isabel Brown
Jennifer Calderone
Inga Calvin
Sandra Caron
Charles and Barbara Reyman
Laura Charlier
Sigrid Chase
Carmelita Clayton
Diane Deschanel and Gregory Ruff
Abigail Dice
Anonymous Donors
Mandy Doria
Beth and Robert Duncan
Jenny Dyer
Anne & Joe Frank
Bobbi Gillis
Gretchen Groth
Lisa Haddox
Amy Harris
Liz & Jim Heatwole
Mark & Diane Imhoff
Margaret Ingram
Katherin Jeter
Bill Juraschek
Sue and Roger Kilgore
Lana and James Cordes
Lola and Arlen Hershberger
Jesse Loper
Natalie and Patrick Love
Matthew and Elizabeth Spohn
Sheila McMullen
Lori Midson
David and Beverly Miller
Harriet Mullaney
Ortrun Neidig
Chris and Erin Nielsen
Glenda O’Neal
Joe Peetz
Samantha Lehni Reeves
Nancy Relihan
Robert and Connie Friesen
Ronald and Janina Gotlin
Mary Salsich
Ellen and Andy Selig
Skip and Carol Spensley
Kait Speth
Mary Jo Starmer
Stephanie Wasserman and David Fine
Christopher Stewart
Rick Strittmater
Marilyn Swan
Michele Swenson
Wendi Torres
Jane Wainwright
Mary Ann Welch
Guy and Susan Wroble
Al and Ann Yates
Jason Zamkoff
Debbie Zucker and Brian Field
Food
Pantry
Volunteers
David Addor
Ursula Boldt
Bruce Campbell
Emily Clark
Linda Davis
Audrey Diamontopoulis
Larea Edwards
Carol Flank
Amber Goodall
Andy Hartman
Mark Pressey
Carole Robertson
Deb Rosenbaum
Heather Selph