CSU PRESIDENTS JOIN FORCES IN FIGHT AGAINST HUNGER

Friday, June 28^th, 2019, will be a special day in Northern Colorado. On that day, CSU President Tony Frank and incoming CSU President Joyce McConnell will lead the celebration of the Food Bank’s official grand re-opening of its Fort Collins pantry and help kick off the public phase of its Feeding Our Future capital campaign. The Food Bank event will serve as one of Frank’s last functions as CSU president before McConnell assumes her new role.

On June 28^th, Tony Frank and Joyce McConnell will welcome visitors to the Food Bank’s Fort Collins Fresh Food Share pantry to celebrate its grand re-opening. Fort Collins Mayor Wade Troxell and Loveland Mayor Jacki Marsh are also scheduled to be on hand to mark the occasion, along with Food Bank donors, board members and members of the community.

The Fort Collins Fresh Food Share pantry, which serves more than 8,000 unduplicated individuals each month, recently underwent a 6-week renovation. The goal of the renovation was to improve the access, flow and aesthetics of the pantry, thereby improving the shopping experience for Food Bank clients.

The event will also serve as a kickoff for the Food Bank’s public phase of its Feeding Our Future capital campaign. In May of 2018, the Food Bank moved its distribution center and business office to a new facility in Loveland. The $9 million Feeding Our Future capital campaign paid for the purchase and renovation of the new facility. Using its own money, private donations and grants, the Food Bank has funded more than $8 million of the campaign to date. The public phase will help the Food Bank raise the final $1 million needed to close the campaign.

The Feeding Our Future campaign is deeply personal to Dr. Frank. As a long-time supporter of the Food Bank, he signed on to co-chair the campaign and has been a major factor in its success. During the June 28^th event, Dr. Frank, along with campaign co-chair Lisa Clay, will announce a board-designated match for the Feeding Our Future campaign.

“The Food Bank is a lifeline for our community and neighbors in need, and they are active partners with Colorado State University in addressing food insecurity,” Dr. Frank said. “Hunger in our community is real, and it’s something that each of us can help to eliminate. It’s why I became a Food Bank supporter so many years ago and why I continue to support the work that they do every day.”

The longstanding partnership between CSU and the Food Bank has grown even more important in recent years as food insecurity on college campuses has become more visible. In response, CSU has instituted several hunger-relief initiatives, including Rams Against Hunger, campus pocket pantries, and a mobile pantry that serves more than 800 students and staff each month.

“We have been so fortunate to have Tony Frank as an advocate for these many years. Tony has moved mountains for us and we could not be more grateful,” said Food Bank for Larimer County CEO Amy Pezzani. “We are thrilled that he will continue as chancellor and that someone of Joyce’s character and leadership is taking the reins at CSU.”

WHAT: Partnership to End Hunger event

WHEN: Friday, June 28, 2019, 10:00 am

WHERE: 1301 Blue Spruce Drive, Fort Collins

WHO: CSU President Tony Frank, incoming CSU President Joyce McConnell, elected officials, and guests

Founded in 1984, the Food Bank for Larimer County is the county’s only Feeding America clearinghouse for donated food. An estimated 37,500 Larimer County residents receive assistance through the Food Bank’s programs and partners each year. The Food Bank’s Nutritious Kitchen prepares meals and snacks for children and seniors; the Nourishing Network partners with more than 100 community programs; and the Fresh Food Share pantries provide a client-choice shopping experience for Larimer County residents in need. For more information, visit www.foodbanklarimer.org.