Arts from Ashes (AfA) is dedicated to giving back to our community in whatever way we can, which is why we’re particularly excited to spotlight our new partner, We Don’t Waste. They provide vital services to our Denver community and also share our values of empowerment. In addition to monthly food pickups, We Don’t Waste invited AfA youth ambassador, Beo (age 18), to perform at their annual Gala in the Fall and participated in an AfA workshop, writing and sharing poems in a session at their warehouse in Northeast Denver.
Food insecurity is a major issue for Denver communities. Data has shown that as many as 1 in 7 Denver county residents are food insecure, meaning they do not have consistent access to affordable, nutritious food. This isn’t due to a lack of food produced—about 40% of food produced in the U.S. ends up in a landfill, and much of this food is edible and nutritious.
We Don’t Waste bridges the gap by recovering quality, unused food from the food industry and delivering it to nonprofit partners such as food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, schools and daycare programs, and now Art from Ashes.
As a We Don’t Waste partner, AfA has access to a mix of snacks, meals, fresh produce, canned and frozen goods and more that allow us to provide more substantial food options in workshops. Youth are then encouraged to take a bag of groceries home with them in one of our re-usable tote bags, provided by 4imprint. Each week, youth can bring back their tote bags and refill them.
Thanks to the support from We Don’t Waste, we are able to not only support our youth, but others in our community. If you’d like to notified when we get our monthly We Don’t Distribution, email collaborations@artfromashes.org.
