This October, a group of dedicated volunteers and staff members took on the task of redesigning EFAA’s food pantry. The reason? To allow more room for nutritious food options and to enable participants to shop without a volunteer, should they prefer.

Before the makeover, a lot of donated food was stored on shelves or the pantry floor, leaving the aisles narrow and the options overwhelming. Now, fresh produce is at the center of the pantry to promote healthy choices. There’s also more room to walk through the aisles, which supports EFAA’s recent change in policy that gives participants the option to self-shop on their own, or with a volunteer shopping assistant.

Those visiting the pantry can also expect better nutritional signage, with big, colorful signs marking each section and labels such as “starches” and “proteins” so that participants can select their food based on nutritional value.

“EFAA is known across Boulder for the security our food pantry brings to low-income families, seniors, and people with disabilities,” says Julie Van Domelen, Executive Director. “Through our remodel, we hope participants have an improved experience where they can get good, healthy food for their families while also learning something new about nutrition and navigating the pantry independently.”