Over the holidays, a group of nine differently abled adults made a difference in our community by hosting a food drive for EFAA. Together, they raised over 960 meals for local families!

After first volunteering in EFAA’s Food Bank, clients of Colorado Recovery—a Boulder-based residential treatment facility for adults with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and other serious mental illnesses—were confronted with the reality that not everyone in our community has enough to eat.  This experience inspired them to take action.

These adults overcame significant personal challenges to help others. When they first set up their food drive out front of Safeway Arapahoe, it was hard for many of them to put themselves out there to engage with customers – especially those with anxiety disorders. But once the donations started coming in, they became really motivated and started opening up.

“Seeing our clients in this special situation made all of the hard work worth every moment,” says Dalma, Colorado Recovery’s Rehabilitation Counselor. “When they packed up the car with all of the bags of groceries, they felt a sense of pride and ownership for their efforts to give back to the community.”

Gathering food for local families experiencing hunger, and providing a meaningful volunteer experience for adults with different abilities? Talk about a win-win.