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November 2015 • gazette.com/nonprofit Seniors
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Volume I, Issue 5 • FREE Youth
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Endowment receives $5 million gift for Falcon Stadium renovations BY JERMAINE JOHNSON USAFA Endowment
CSFR Education Coordinators Andy Rivas and Luis Quiles pose with the Atlas Preparatory School Food Rescue interns on the day of their first grocery program. Zac Chapman, Colorado Springs Food Rescue
Food rescuers collaborate with community to create new solutions to food insecurity BY ZAC CHAPMAN
Colorado Springs Food Rescue
Every year, 40 percent of the food produced in the U.S. ends up in a landfill — enough to fill the Rose Bowl with bruised veggies every day of the week. Colorado Springs Food Rescue (CSFR) seeks to intercept and rescue the unused, edible food that is about to be thrown away and sustainably transport it to Colorado Springs residents who are in need of a good meal. CSFR recruits volunteers, picks up from 18 donor businesses and delivers food to 14 recipient sites around the city each day of the week, rescuing an average of 25,000 pounds of fresh food every month.
Recipient sites include other local hunger relief efforts, but CSFR has recently steered its focus to collaborating directly with low-income communities with the express purpose of increasing access to and knowledge about healthy foods. These five established grocery programs are managed by community members, creating a participatory structure around the way the food is redistributed. When driven by the community, these grocery programs flourish into venues not only for food distribution, but for education, empowerment and community building. The most recent collabora-
tive grocery program is based at Atlas Preparatory, a Harrison District 2 charter school that aims to provide free, high-quality education similar to private preparatory schools. CSFR staff, Atlas Prep staff, Colorado College students, and Atlas Prep high school student interns work together to create and manage a weekly food program that provides fresh produce and pantry items to participating families. In addition to driving the food program, the four Atlas Prep student interns receive school credit for their managerial experience and do coursework that furthers their critical under– CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 –
The USAFA Endowment has received a leadership gift of $5 million from an anonymous donor to support renovations to Falcon Stadium. The $5 million gift will help fund the much-needed renovations for the aging stadium that has seen only minor upgrades since it was built in 1962. The donation marks the first private contribution to the Falcon Stadium renovation initiative, a fundraising partnership between the USAFA Endowment and the Air Force Academy Athletic Corporation (AFAAC). “We are extremely grateful and honored by this generous kickoff gift to Falcon Stadium,” said Air Force Head Football Coach Troy Calhoun. The renovations to the stadium are expected to move forward in stages. Early phases of the renovation will include enhancements to seating and the fan experience on the east side of the stands, installation of a new scoreboard and video board, and improvements in the team locker rooms. “We are confident that this generous gift will be a catalyst for future support to the much needed Falcon Stadium renovation project,” said Air Force Athletics Director Jim Knowlton. – CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 –
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