After nearly a year of searching, the Aurora Food Pantry is back ‘for business’.

AURORA, Colo. – After nearly a year in search of a new location, Food Connect Colorado is once again open to customers. Located in Aurora, Food Connection operates as an independent grocery store to create a sense of normality and independence for the people it serves.

Denver7 last spoke with the company’s president, Elizabeth Watts, in December 2022. At the time, she had all of Food Connection’s equipment in storage when she was looking for a place to work. She closed their previous location after a dramatic increase in rent.

“Finding a new place was a lot harder than I thought it would be,” Watts said. “You know, I thought we’d be closed for a few months, and it’s been almost a year. The commercial realtors I called had a niche – once they found out what my business was, they would turn me down. They would say, ‘No, we don’t want that kind of business in our malls or warehouses.’ Because, I think most food pantries are run by homeless people. And it’s not true.

“People who come here have houses. Many of them own their homes. And they are mostly working. They are not unemployed. They are the only people who struggle to pay the bills every month and need something extra.

A month ago, Watts finally found a long-term solution. After posting about her situation on the NextDoor app, she was contacted by Crosswind Hope and Restoration Center, a church and nonprofit organization in Aurora. They welcomed her operation into their large back room.

“It’s amazing to be in this big, beautiful place. It’s probably a third bigger than our previous location,” Watts said. “And it’s air-conditioned and heated, which is nice.”

At Food Connect Colorado, guests are not referred to as “recipients” or “needs” by Watts or her volunteers. They are called consumers. Shoppers who turned up for the opening day Thursday were just as relieved to find the market open again.

“With price increases and everything, you go into the grocery store and think, ‘Well, well, this price has tripled. This has doubled in value,” said buyer Barbara VanMeer. “It’s been a long year without this space, and I’m so glad they finally have a space. I’m very happy to be back.”

Local food banks have reported increasing demand for their services in recent years. According to Feeding America, 1 in 12 people in Colorado are at risk of hunger, including 1 in 9 children. According to data compiled by Food Connector Colorado, about half of those who use its services rent a home and more than a third own a home. More than 68% lived in a household of four or more people.

“I started using it because I’m taking care of my two grandchildren, and it’s just me and my husband,” explains consumer Bernadette Johnson. “It’s helped us a lot because I’m disabled, so my husband is the sole provider. And this is very useful for us,” he said.

Watts hopes this new arrangement, along with the added space and facilities, will allow her and her volunteers to serve more people in the future.

“They really appreciate it,” she said. “And, I’m filling a need I know.”