In 2023, the Broomfield FISH food bank and resource center saw the highest need for assistance it has seen in its 60 years of operation.
In its 2023 annual report, FISH reported that through their shelf-shop grocery marketplace, emergency financial assistance and resource support, it served more than 13,000 unduplicated residents, or approximately 17% of Broomfield’s population.
Communications and Media Manager Maggie Sava said the unprecedented need in the community is caused by a number of factors, including wages too low for the costs of living, high rent prices in the area and a lack of affordable housing.
“Housing expenses become a huge burden for families when our participants are paying 70% or more of their monthly income on housing alone,” she said. “It’s an ongoing conversation and not an easy one to solve, but it is a very pressing one.”
As a nonprofit, FISH operates primarily through donations, including those collected through food drives. But with one in six Broomfield residents needing assistance, the annual report showed that FISH was forced to dip into its reserve funds to ensure no residents went hungry.
“(Using the reserve funds) is very unusual for us, it’s not typical,” Sava said. “It may be the first time we’ve had to do that … but the fact that we had them and were able to meet the increasing need is really important.”
According to the report, FISH distributed 1,560,603 pounds of food to neighbors in need in 2023 through its marketplace, where participants can select food and shop similarly to a grocery store, a model that prioritizes dignity and respect.
“The increase in need has been steadily going up … and I don’t think it’s just low income families. It’s across classes,” said Mike Lutz, food operations manager. “From families that are unhoused to working families that have one or multiple jobs just trying to make ends meet.”
The need for assistance in Broomfield has steadily increased over several years, with visits to the marketplace increasing by nearly 2,000 from 2022 to 2023.
“Unfortunately I don’t see the need going down anytime soon,” Lutz said. “I think it’s going to continue to grow … there’s a lot of other things going on in people’s lives with mental health or addiction and a lot of other things going on that contribute to the increased need we’re seeing.”
Despite the increased number of people needing assistance, Sava and Lutz both agreed that Broomfield has remained resilient, and above all else has shown to be a community that helps one another.
“I continue to be amazed and just want to express gratitude to not only the families that we serve and how awesome they are, but our community in general,” Lutz said. “I have nothing but gratitude to everybody in this community.”
To learn more about FISH and how to volunteer or donate, visit broomfieldfish.org.
