GPHC Command Central: Something To Celebrate
Thanks To You, We Made Thanksgiving For 500 Families
By Lori Midson
Executive Director, GPHC, Inc.
For the better part of November our staff, coupled with a slew of fantastic volunteers, assembled, stocked, distributed and delivered more than 500 food-filled boxes and bags of Thanksgiving essentials to families in need.
We gave out stuffing and potatoes, black-eyed peas, green beans and corn, cranberry sauce, broth and soup, yams and gravy, pumpkin pies and packets of hot chocolate, jars of spices, rolls and boxes of cornbread mix. We distributed loads of fresh vegetables, too. By the time we handed out our last box on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, we’d distributed approximately 10,000 pounds — that’s five tons — of food.
Our Thanksgiving giveaway, which Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. has now hosted for 11 years, is a labor of love, and there are so, so many people who contribute to its success. To everyone who hosted a food drive, donated gift cards, made financial contributions, packed and distributed boxes and bags, graced us with fresh pies, brought carts of Thanksgiving essentials to our office, and generously made jaunts to the grocery store to pick up a few extra items, thank you. All the jingle bells of gratitude for your time and everything you contributed to ensure those in need had a proper Thanksgiving meal. Your collective generosity helped us feed more than 1,100 individuals and families. That’s something to celebrate.
And thank you, as always, to all our donors and volunteers for your memberships, financial contributions, in-kind donations and support of GPHC’s critical programs and initiatives. We couldn’t be us without all of you.
The gift of love. The gift of peace. The gift of warmth and joy. On behalf of our board of directors, staff and volunteers, we wish you and your loved ones the happiest of holidays.
Essential Food Pantry Needs
Visits to our food pantry have increased by 400 percent over last year, and our pantry shelves could use some love. If you’re at the grocery store, please consider donating a few items from the list below:
• Canned fish, meat & Spam
• Pasta sauce
• Canned tomato sauce and tomato paste
• Hearty soups and stews
• Canned refried, kidney and pinto beans
• Canned vegetables (Corn, green beans, spinach, mixed vegetables and peas)
• Canned fruit
• Cartons/boxes of potatoes
• Salt, pepper and spices
• Bags/boxes of rice and rice dinners
• Instant coffee
• Ground coffee
• Shelf-stable milk
• Cereal and oatmeal
• Pancake, biscuit and cornbread mix
• Cake mixes
• Shelf-stable packaged meals
• Travel-size toiletries
• Paper goods
We accept food pantry donations between 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays and between noon and 5 p.m. on Tuesdays. Our office is at 2823 Fairfax St. We also accept donations by appointment. If you’d like to schedule a donation outside of our office hours, send an email to director@greaterparkhill.org, or call 303-388-0918.
Please be mindful of expiration dates. Out of respect for our pantry families, we will not accept expired food items. And please do not leave donations outside our office door. Thank you for abiding by these guidelines.
Please note that our food pantry and office will be closed for a holiday break between Dec. 21 and Jan. 2. Our office and pantry will reopen on Wednesday, Jan. 3.
Donors
Groups, Businesses and Churches
Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church
City and County Denver
Curtis Park Deli
Dahlia Campus Farms and Gardens
Denver Food Rescue
Food Bank of the Rockies
Greenway Community Gardens
Knight Refrigerated
Messiah Community Church
Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church
Oneida Street Neighbors
Overture 9th & CO
Park Hill Branch Library
Park Hill Congregational UCC
Park HIll Elementary School
Park Hill United Church of Christ
Park Hill United Methodist Church
St. Thomas Episcopal Church
Starbucks
The Urban Farm
Families and Individuals
Sylvia Aldena
Janey and Harmon Alpert
Surendra Amin
Andy and Katie Gruel
Annie and David Pratt
Penny Ashley-Lawrence
James Aubrey
Cathy Bauchwitz
Simon Blamires
Sarah Booth
Henry Bootz and Maria Flora
Isabel Brown
Jasmine Brubaker
Traci Byrne
Jennifer Calderone
Inga Calvin
A Bruce Campbell
Jennifer Cappeto
Martha Carlson
Christina and Dan Manzanares
Christine and Daniel Allen
Marc Chusid
Emily Clark
Peggy Cuciti
Charlie Curlee
Brenna Derritt
Abigail Dice
Anonymous Donors
Erin Donovan
Cheryl Dorris
Diane and Wayne L DuBois
Christine Dupont-Patz
Jennifer Dyer
Ellen Reath and Craig Maginness
Anne & Joe Frank
Florence Garbini
Georgia and Woody Garnsey
Brian Gersen
Mary Gerwin
Al Giardina
Bobbi Gillis
Princess Gray
Lisa Haddox
Amy Harris
Matt Harrison
Pamela Healy
The Hendersons
Kelly Hudson
Jon and Janet Bowman
Joncee and Glen Feakes
Bill Juraschek
Jules Kelty
Blair Knicely
Paul Kottke
William Leo Lakers
Barbara Larsen and Leo Riegel
Bev Laughlin
Patrick Lavin
Mary Jo Lorenz
Natalie and Patrick Love
Theresa Lower
Jason Manegold
Elaine Martin
Matthew and Elizabeth Spohn
Randy & Babette McQueen
Lori Midson
Brenda and Stefan Mokrohisky
Chuck E Nelson
Chris and Erin Nielsen
Hilary O’Byrne
Mark Onderdunk
Patty Paul
Aliza Porter Harper
Antonia Rebellado
Cathy Rock
Mary Salsich
Katherine Saltzman
Maria Sandoval
Linda Siderius
Sarah Speicher
Shannon Spezialy
Mary Jo Starmer
Christopher Stewart
Wendi Torres
Gloria Valdez
Jane Wainwright
Al and Ann Yates
Debbie Zucker and Brian Field
Food Pantry Volunteers
David Addor
Bruce Campbell
Emily Clark
Claudia Fields
Linda Lovell
Bev Miller
Betsy Post
Mark Pressey
Deb Rosenbaum
Carole Robertson
Heather Selph