GPHC Command Central: That Which Sustains Us
A Few Ways You Can Make A Difference
By Lori Midson
Executive Director, GPHC, Inc.
As many of you know, Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. (GPHC) hosts multiple community events throughout the year. Upcoming events include neighborhood cleanups, the Park Hill Home Tour & Street Fair on Sept. 29, the Park Hill Community Fall Festival on Oct. 13, our annual board meeting and elections on Oct. 3 and GPHC’s annual Thanksgiving basket giveaway in November.
These events and projects require weeks, if not months, of planning by two part-time staff members, as well as dedicated GPHC board of directors and a force of fiercely committed community volunteers.
In between those events (and several others), we operate a no-cost, twice-a-week food pantry, which is the one GPHC program that operates consistently all year long. It never stops.
During my two years as the registered neighborhood organization’s executive director, we’ve made numerous adjustments to our food pantry to address the increased need for nourishment. The challenges have been monumental considering that our food pantry visits have increased by 400 percent since 2022. Many of you have asked me what we’ve done to meet the needs of our food-insecure pantry families. Below is the short list of our initiatives and accomplishments.
• We increased the number of volunteers per pantry day from two to five; many of our food pantry volunteers are bilingual.
• We introduced a fresh-food arm to our pantry, including fruits, vegetables, dairy products and eggs to ensure our clients have access to more nutritious foods.
• We developed donation partnerships with Trader Joe’s and Dahlia Campus Farms and Gardens to minimize food waste and give our clients a larger selection of food choices.
• We altered the layout of our food pantry so that its centerpiece is a large table display of fresh fruits and vegetables.
• We added spices and seasonings to our offerings. Spices fuel creativity, contribute to good health and infuse jolts of flavor into foods that need a pick-me-up.
• We introduced a dedicated space for culturally relevant foods tailored to the preferences of our increasingly diverse population. This has been especially helpful to our food-insecure clients who aren’t familiar with traditional staples and/or experience language barriers.
Despite our best efforts, however, our food pantry shelves consistently run low on staples. For every donation we receive, twice as much food goes out our door. if you’re at the grocery store, please consider donating a few items from the following list:
• Cereal and oatmeal
• Bags of white rice
• Bags/boxes of instant mashed potatoes
• Pasta and rice mixes
• Canned refried, kidney, pinto, baked and white beans
• Bags of dried beans
• Dried pasta (all kinds)
• Pasta sauce
• Canned ravioli
• Canned fruit
• Canned fish
• Canned corn, mixed vegetables and green beans
• Spam
• Canned chili, soups and stews
• Instant coffee packets
• Jarred spices
• Small can openers
• Hygiene products/toiletries
• Reusable bags
We accept non-expired (please, please be mindful of expiration dates) food donations at our office at 2823 Fairfax St. between 8:45 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays and between 10:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on Tuesdays. Non-expired donations can also be dropped off in the bins inside Mayfair Liquors at 13th and Krameria and the Park Hill Library at Montview and Dexter during their normal business hours.
Our food pantry needs are updated monthly on our website: greaterparkhill.org/food-programs/emergency-food-pantry/.
GPHC Membership
GPHC is a membership-based organization, and the more members we have, the bolder and more persuasive our collective voice becomes. To renew your membership — or to become a member — sign up at greaterparkhill.org/join-us/become-a-member/ or drop off a check (and say hi) at our office, at 2823 Fairfax St.
We look forward to serving you as a valued member of GPHC, listening to your ideas and input and working collaboratively on projects, programs and issues.
Thank you, as always, to our current members, donors and volunteers for your kindness, in-kind and financial contributions, involvement and dedication. You are deeply appreciated.
The following organizations and individuals donated to and volunteered with Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. last month:
Businesses, Churches and Groups
Augustana Lutheran Church
Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church
Curtis Park Deli
Dahlia Campus Farms and Gardens
Denver Food Rescue
Food Bank of the Rockies
Mayfair Liquors
Messiah Community Church
Oneida Street Neighbors
Overture 9th & CO
Park Hill Branch Library
Park Hill Treasures
Park Hill United Church of Christ
St. Thomas Episcopal Church
Starbucks
Individuals and Families
Sylvia Aldena
Surendra Amin
Penny Ashley-Lawrence
Clayton Bartczak
William Beaver
Ellen Brown and Terry Haussler
Jasmine Brubaker
Bruce and Brenda Campbell
Jennifer Calderone
Inga Calvin
Anthony Caravella
Charles and Robyn Jacobs
Cindy and John Sawyer
Karen Collier
G. Kevin and Virginia Conwick
Kristy Corcoran
Bernice and Steve Donohoue
Anonymous Donors
Paul Forward
Anne & Joe Frank
Bobbi Gillis
Princess Gray
Gretchen Groth
Erica Gutierrez
Lisa Haddox
Christine Hager
Carol Haller
Amy Harris
Adrienne Hill
Jim Hogan
Ellen and John Hokanson
Raina Huerena
Julie Ann Jenson
Bill Juraschek
Lana and James Cordes
Bev Laughlin
Laura Lelnard
Alan and Leslie Levine
Lola and Arlen Hershberger
Lori Midson
Natalie and Patrick Love
Douglas Mandic
Matthew and Elizabeth Spohn
Rosemary McManis
Harriet Mullaney
Chris and Erin Nielsen
Mark Onderdunk
Walt Pedigo
Denison Penney
Robert and Joan Root
Mary Salsich
Heather Selph
Elaine Selsberg
Kelly Smith
MK Smith
Mary Jo Starmer
Christopher Stewart
Maren Stewart
Suzanne Strojny
Michele Swenson
Trader Joes
Jane Wainwright
Susan and Marekah Weinstein and Stewart
Connie Zahn
Vanessa Zimmerman
Karen Zollars
Food Pantry Volunteers
David Addor
Ursula Boldt
Bruce Campbell
Emily Clark
Linda Davis
Audrey Diamontopoulis
Carol Flank
Andy Hartman
Betsy Post
Mark Pressey
Carrol Rhead
Carole Robertson
Deb Rosenbaum
Ann Salamy
Heather Selph
Piper Stevens