BROOMFIELD, Colo. — North Denver Cares Food Pantry is in danger of closing its doors because of rising costs.
"As long as I can supply food, that's what my calling is," said Bryan Decker, who started the nonprofit 20 years ago with his wife out of a small Broomfield church.
But Decker said supplying that food for 400 families a week has become more and more difficult because of rising costs.
"A lot of things like peanut butter has doubled in price in the last year and that's a staple of a food bank," said Decker.
The food bank has its own box trucks and vans for food deliveries. Decker said, on average, volunteers drive anywhere from 500 to 600 miles a week. All of those vehicles take diesel fuel.
"Fuel costs have tripled in the last two years," he said.
Decker said he is also in the process of renegotiating the rent at the North Denver Cares Food Pantry building on W. 117th Ave. He expects the price to go up anywhere from 25% to 30% a month.
Decker told Denver7 he's applied for many grants and even taken classes in grant writing.
"We are in kind of a waiting period to see if we're going to raise enough funds to keep going," said Decker.
Broomfield resident Sarah Kleinhans said the thought of the pantry shuttering its doors breaks her heart.
"I think about the how much it's helped my family, and then how much it's helped those other five families," said Sarah.
Kleinhans explained she never thought she'd end up asking for help from Decker's pantry. That was until her son was diagnosed with Leukemia and needed 38 months of chemotherapy.
"All of a sudden, I'm on this side of everything, which is a really bizarre place to be. And I needed help," Kleinhans recalled.
Kleinhans told us about the times Decker filled her shopping cart for her family in a time where she couldn't go to the grocery store.
In 2013, around that same time, we honored Decker as a Denver7 Everyday Hero.
"Brian has a heart of gold," said Kleinhans.
A decade later, Kleinhans is still paying it forward delivering food from North Denver Cares Food Pantry to five families who are also in the midst of cancer treatment.
She explained while there's a lot of good causes out there today, keeping North Denver Cares Food Pantry open is a cause worth caring about.
"This food bank is really different. It's got a heart behind it," said Kleinhans.
For those in need of help, pantry hours are Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Remember to bring a photo ID, proof of income and proof of residence.
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