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Local Motion: Two local non-profits offer creative solutions to Food Insecurity in Colorado.

Cassie Knust
Volunteers at The Shepherd's Hand in Montrose

According to statistics from Feeding America, in the state of Colorado, 533,650 people are facing hunger - and of them 129,900 are children. This means that 1 in 11 people and 1 in 10 children face hunger in our state each day. Meanwhile ReFED, the national nonprofit working to cut food loss and waste, estimates that 30-40 percent of the food we produce as a nation goes uneaten each year.

Taya Jae talks with Co-Director Rita Mary Hennigan and Gleaning and Food Systems Coordinator Abbey Anderson from UpRoot Colorado about their partnerships with Local Farms to glean surplus food and distribute it across the state.

Abby Anderson and Rita Mary Hennigan at the KVNF Studios
Taya Jae
Abby Anderson and Rita Mary Hennigan of UpRoot Colorado, at the KVNF Studios
Food Wisdom Education Event with Thistle Whistle Farm, an exploration of Corn and Peppers, which took place on May 13.
Food Wisdom Education Event with Thistle Whistle Farm, an exploration of Corn and Peppers, which took place on May 13.
Food Wisdom Education Event with Thistle Whistle Farm, an exploration of Corn and Peppers, which took place on May 13.
Food Wisdom Education Event with Thistle Whistle Farm, an exploration of Corn and Peppers, which took place on May 13.
Food Wisdom Education Event with Thistle Whistle Farm, an exploration of Corn and Peppers, which took place on May 13.
Food Wisdom Education Event with Thistle Whistle Farm, an exploration of Corn and Peppers, which took place on May 13.

The Shepherd's Hand of Montrose served over 104,000 people last year. Cassie Knust talks to The Shepherd's Hand President Garey Martinez about why the organization started feeding people and the impact their organization has had on the hungry and houseless.

Gary Martinez, President of The Shepard's Hand
Cassie Knust
Garey Martinez, President of The Shepard's Hand
The Shepard's Hand in Montrose offers free hot breakfast and lunch served Mon-Fri
Cassie Knust
The Shepard's Hand in Montrose offers free hot breakfast and lunch served Mon-Fri

The first time Taya was on the radio was a KVNF pledge drive promo recorded in 1998, she was 5. It went something like this, “I like KVNF because it’s fun to listen to music” she goes on to say, “music is like a dream”.
Cassie moved to Montrose from Texas in April 2020, right before COVID changed the landscape of the world as we knew it. She brought her love of people and a degree in broadcast journalism to the Western Slope, where she built a strong foundation in local print news. She’s excited to join the KVNF family and grow as a reporter. For Cassie, her job as a journalist is to empower the community through knowledge and information. When she’s not researching and reporting, Cassie loves to spend time with her cat, Jasper, and paint something new.