We are working through our various partners to listen to the needs of students, families and community members in the area in light of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis and school being canceled for at least a week. 100% of the funds raised through our Jefferson Area Family Support fund will be utilized to respond to these needs. We’ll continue to update this page with needs, how we are responding and how you can be involved.
Click here to donate to the Jefferson Area Family Support Fund.
We are also listening to the needs of teachers and staff at our local schools as their family or household finances are impacted by the pandemic. So far, we have donated King Soopers gift cards to teachers and school staff that need extra financial support through this time.
Click here to donate to the Jefferson Area Teacher and Staff Encouragement Fund.
Another important part of our mission is cultivating thriving local businesses. To this end, we are utilizing the Edgewater Echo to keep an updated list of Edgewater businesses that have carryout, delivery or ways to purchase merchandise or gift cards online.
April 10 Update: Mutual Meals Week Three
As school was closing on Friday, March 13, and we began to think about how we could assist partners in connecting area families with food resources, we didn’t know where or how we would get food to families. We had spent most of the day going from store to store trying to find mac and cheese boxes to send home with elementary school students in our area. Thankfully, we were able to purchase over 600 boxes of mac and cheese to send home with students. We have also been able to purchase King Soopers and Walmart gift cards to help families over the last month.
Now a month later we believe we have stumbled our way into finding a way to connect seniors, frontline workers (healthcare, grocery and first responders) and families with a delicious meal, while also helping to create cash flow for two Edgewater restaurants.
Each week the number of community members we deliver meals from local restaurants increases:
- Week One: 88 community members served
- Week Two: 193 community members served
- Week Three: 247 community members served
April 4 Update: Mutual Meals Week Two
Based on the success of our first week of Mutual Meals, we started this week excited for how we could expand and deliver more meals to community members. Thanks to dedicated volunteer drivers, community donors and partner restaurants we were able to expand from 88 people served last week to 193 people served this week!
March 27 Update: Mutual Meals Week One
Thanks to great volunteer delivery drivers (John, Alicia, James, Dawn, Renee, Erin, Greg, Casey, David and Becca), we were able to deliver delicious dinner meals to 86 community members who needed a little encouragement this week. These included seniors, families from our local schools, healthcare professionals and other community members impacted by job losses. As our delivery drivers dropped off the meals, and kept their physical distance, they greeted the recipients of the meals because we value the social connections as well as the meals delivered. Social isolation can be hard on many of our community members.
March 22 Update
We continue to communicate with the Family Engagement Liaisons from our focus area schools and deliver gift cards to King Soopers or Walmart for families that need extra support. We like to deliver gift cards because of the simplicity of the process and because it gives families the opportunity to purchase what they need.
Starting on Monday, March 23 we are beta-testing a meal delivery service called Mutual Meals for families, seniors and others that need support in our community. We are focused on delivery meals to the 80214 area. Click here to learn more.
Email joel@edgewatercollective.org if you would like to refer a family in 80214 that needs extra support.
March 14 Update
On Friday, March 13 we delivered over 600 boxes and servings of take home mac and cheese to every student at Edgewater Elementary and Lumberg Elementary. Our desire was to send food home with students before the long two week break from school. Special thanks to our Edgewater City Council members for helping distribute at the elementary schools.
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