At our pantries, pets are an essential part of the household — and when families face financial strain, ensuring pets have food can make a real difference. Human food bank partnerships allow Colorado Pet Pantry to bring pet food and supplies directly into communities where people are already seeking support, helping households care for the whole family.
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Meeting Families Where They Are
When families face difficult choices, pets are often part of the picture. By working alongside human food pantries, we meet people where they already are — in places they know and trust.
Here’s why this approach matters:
- Trusted community spaces: Families can receive support for themselves and their pets in one convenient location.
- Focus where it matters most: Human food banks can concentrate on feeding people, while we focus on providing pet food and supplies — maximizing everyone’s efforts.
- Keeping families together: When pets have food of their own, families don’t have to stretch limited resources, helping households stay stable during challenging times.
This approach ensures that pet food assistance is accessible, efficient, and integrated into the existing support systems families rely on. It’s more than convenience — it’s about creating a network of care that strengthens the whole household.
Partner Spotlight: We Don’t Waste
Since 2020, our partnership with We Don’t Waste has helped redirect good food (and pet supplies) straight to Denver communities in need. Their mission is to ensure surplus food never goes to waste by rescuing and redistributing it to households that need it most — increasing food access while protecting our planet. At their Mobile Food Markets, Colorado Pet Pantry, along with WeeCycle, works together to serve households and pets across Denver.
On the first Tuesday of every month, families in underserved, economically challenged neighborhoods in Denver can receive pet food and supplies at the Bruce Randolph School. These distributions are carefully organized to meet household needs — ensuring pets receive the support they need and resources are not wasted.
“We are so grateful to work with great organizations like Colorado Pet Pantry. Our impact as an organization relies on partnerships with community nonprofits, and our partnership with Colorado Pet Pantry is a prime example of how good is amplified when we work together!” — Caroline Hissong, Senior Communications & Marketing Manager, We Don’t Waste
These markets leverage each organization’s strengths. As Hissong explains:
“We Don’t Waste has the infrastructure and host site relationships to set up Mobile Food Markets across the city. By offering these markets as locations for our partners to do outreach, we’re increasing the impact these markets have on the community while making it easier for our partners to reach more communities, more people, and more pets!”
View our Human Food Banks and Open-to-Public Partners
Strengthening Households
Partnerships like this allow Colorado Pet Pantry to provide pet food and supplies in trusted community spaces, complementing the work of human food banks and helping families maintain stability during challenging times. From Denver to communities across Colorado, human food bank and open-to-the-public pantry partners make this work possible every day — keeping households and their pets cared for.
Stay tuned for our next partner spotlight, where we’ll continue sharing the organizations and relationships that make caring for the whole family possible across Colorado.
