DENVER — Hundreds of families lined up for hours Saturday morning in Adams County to ensure they'd be able to take home all the food and ingredients they'll need to make Thanksgiving dinner.
It's part of Operation Freebird, an annual event now in its 19th year that's a partnership between the Adams County Sheriff's Office, Food Bank of the Rockies and more than 40 community partners, helping make sure families don't go hungry this holiday season.
At the corner of East 70th Avenue and Broadway, hundreds of families wait patiently for their turn through the line.
Kristen Chipman and her daughter Madelynne got there hours before they opened to make sure they'd go home with food for Thanksgiving.
"8 a.m. Trying to beat the crowd!" Chipman said. "And we just needed to be able to get some help, that way we can enjoy Thanksgiving."
Help, Chipman said, that's both needed and appreciated.
"It's been hard," Chipman said. "We have three jobs between my husband and I and we're still trying to get by."
With inflation and rising food costs, Chipman said it's been even harder putting food on the table after their monthly SNAP benefits were cut deep.
"About $300 we lost," Chipman said.
Their family isn't alone.
Erin Pulling, CEO of Food Bank of the Rockies, said together with the Adams County Sheriff's Office they passed out food for 800 families Saturday morning.
"It's not shocking to Food Bank of the Rockies to see this kind of line, we have hundreds of people lined up this morning, because that's what we're seeing at our 78 mobile pantries every single month," Pulling said.
Food insecurity is spiking. Pulling said they're seeing 40 to 60% higher demand at many mobile food pantries.
"And that's a big increase in need that we've seen just between this Thanksgiving and last Thanksgiving," Pulling explained.
Demand that's far outpacing what they saw during the pandemic. And that need is now harder to meet. Pulling said the cost for them to buy food has tripled in recent years.
That's something families coming through the line are dealing with, too.
"So many families we're seeing here today are making tough choices. They want to be able to put a Thanksgiving meal on the table and we're making that possible," Pulling said.
"There's a turkey. Thank you!" said Adams County Sheriff Gene Claps as he helped pass out food alongside deputies.
Those here are leaving with mental health resources, cold weather gear, even stuffed animals for the kids along with all the holiday fixings.
"Stuffing, instant potatoes and things you would have with a Thanksgiving meal," Sheriff Claps said. "We have a lot of community members, especially here in the lower part of Adams County, do not have a high income and they need that help and those resources to be able to have a good holiday,."
Chipman said she and her family are so grateful for the help here today.
"It means a lot. We'll be able to have a nice Thanksgiving now and it'll just be good. One less thing to have to worry about," Chipman said.
If you or someone you know is dealing with food insecurity, you can find a food distribution near you with Food Bank of the Rockies here.
Pulling said for those not experiencing food insecurity this holiday season, consider donating your time or money to help ensure others in your community don't go hungry. For more information on that, visit the website here.
You can also drop off donations at the Adams County Sheriff's Office to be used to help families in need find food and resources.
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