Healthy Archuleta would like to express our sincere gratitude to the community for supporting the food drive on Saturday November 1 at City Market. The food collected at the food drive benefited the seven food pantries in Archuleta County. Several community volunteers supported the event, handing out shopping lists and collecting food donations. They were very moved by the generosity of the community coming together to support our neighbors. One volunteer shared, “So fantastic… the generosity, I’m really touched by the outpouring of support by our community … for our community.” In addition to those who came to support the food drive on Saturday, one local family created a neighborhood food drive for Halloween to support the community and collected donations as they went trick-or-treating. They brought their donated food to the food drive and filled a whole shopping cart! All donations collected during the food drive will be shared among the Archuleta food pantries to be distributed to the community at their local sites, allowing neighbors to select from the available options at the food pantries.
There is still a need for supporting food access in our community and Healthy Archuleta is encouraging residents to come together to help ensure no one goes without food during this difficult time. Community members can play a vital role by donating nonperishable foods to the Archuleta Food Pantry Network, which accepts drop-offs at the UPS Store in Pagosa Springs, or by volunteering with local partner pantries to assist with food distribution. Financial contributions are especially impactful, as they allow pantries to purchase high-priority items such as meat, milk, eggs, fresh produce, and culturally preferred foods.
Community members can access food at any of the food pantries in Archuleta County, with at least one food pantry open six days a week. The food pantries are located throughout the county, with locations in uptown, downtown, Aspen Springs, and Arboles. You can view a list of the food pantries and their hours of operation on Healthy Archuleta’s website at https://www.foodcoalition4archuleta.org/food-pantry-network.html. Additionally, for families of school aged children, breakfast and lunch are provided at no cost to students in Archuleta School District thanks to the Healthy School Meals for All program. These meals provide steady nutrition for children while SNAP benefits are on hold, ensuring students have the energy they need to focus on learning.
Archuleta Seniors, Inc. provides weekday meals through its Community Café at the Ross Aragon Community Center, with both dine-in (by reservation) and take-out options available. Its Meals on Wheels program delivers hot meals, plus sides, five days a week, and seven days a week upon request, to homebound adults aged 60 and older. Community members may call or text 970-264-2167 to reserve meals or learn about volunteer opportunities.
There are many opportunities to support our community and increase access to food for our neighbors. Healthy Archuleta is deeply grateful for the continued generosity of our community as we support our neighbors.
To learn more about the efforts of Healthy Archuleta, please visit our website at www.foodcoalition4archuleta.org.