Gunnison Country Food Pantry History

“If you cannot feed a hundred people, then feed just one.”

— Mother Teresa

Since 2006 the Food Pantry has worked diligently to alleviate food insecurity in the Gunnison Valley.  The mission of the Pantry is to serve those in need by providing food assistance in a kind, confidential, and supportive environment.

The roots of GCFP date back to 1962. When food stamps were first introduced, Human Services recognized that people couldn’t wait for approval of their applications.

As a result, the first community-driven food pantry was initiated. For many years, the Food Pantry was run under the auspices of Health and Human Services Director, Anne Steinbeck.

By 2006, the Department of Health and Human Services was no longer able to meet the growing demand; thus Ruthie and Carl Long answered a community call and stepped forward to found GCFP as a 501c3 non-profit organization. This need for food has continued throughout the decades with the Food Pantry serving as the go-to resource for people seeking short-term and emergency food assistance.

In 2012, Ruthie and Carl Long, after almost seven years of managing GCFP and giving out over 9,651 boxes of food on a “volunteer” basis wanted to retire.  So, Jeanette Klepinger volunteered to step in and continue the service to the Gunnison community. In 2015, Katie Dix took over Pantry operations from Jeanette, serving as the Board President for a four-year term, and growing the Pantry to what it is today; an organization run with nearly 55 volunteers where dignity and nutrition are priorities for all Pantry recipients. In January 2018, the Pantry welcomed their first paid Executive Director, Cassidy Tawse-Garcia. In 2020, Katie Dix returned to the helm as Executive Director.

The Pantry has grown with the needs of our community by meeting increasing demand, shifting to a “Choice Pantry” model, committing to providing fresh fruits and vegetables to every Pantry recipient, and welcoming anyone who walks through the door, whether asking for food or volunteering to help their neighbors facing hunger.

2020 and moving forward has been marked by the Pantry’s unwavering commitment to respond to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time, the Pantry expanded services to meet the ever-growing needs of our community. In 2022, the Pantry hired its first salaried Executive Director, Jodi Payne, and added an Operations Coordinator and Data and Systems Coordinator to the staff. Since the onset of COVID, the needs of Gunnison County have continued to grow, exacerbated by factors such as rising housing costs and overall inflationary pressures.

Over a span of 55 years, the Food Pantry has morphed from an obscure room in the basement of the County Courthouse, to an inviting storefront in a discreet location in Gunnison, and finally in 2022 purchased their own facility to call home, and in October of 2023 The Pantry moved into its permanent location on 114 S 14^th Street, Gunnison.