AARP Colorado and SCPERA Host Food Drive

Mother Nature planted a big wet kiss on Colorado, but the severe weather didn’t stop AARP Colorado and the National Retired Teachers Association (NRTA) from hosting the “Food for Thought” food drive to benefit the Larimer County Food Bank last month.

The Fort Collins AARP Chapter and the Poudre Valley Retired Teachers Association collected 250 pounds of food and increased goodwill in an area targeted for relationship building. Volunteers pressed on despite rain, tornado warnings and a “high” temperature of only 48 degrees.

The food drive was held at the Fort Collins Senior Center. Organized by the AARP Colorado Create The Good lead Cathy Lasnik. The event brought together 16 volunteers, which, in addition to AARP and SCPERA, included a number of young people.

“We had some great new volunteers, including some teens, fulfilling some of their community service hours for school and the Scouts,” Lasnik said. “I want to clone volunteers Tom Tonoli and Stan Ulrich. They stayed with it the entire time.”

The food drive received prominent notice in the Fort Collins Coloradoan newspaper, but the weather made the collection process challenging for donors, Lasnik said. Still, Senior State Director Morie Smile said the event was a success.

"I bet the recipients of the 250 pounds of food think it was a pretty great day," Smile said. "I bet every single person who participated or volunteered felt it was a great day. Cathy escalated AARP's message of service and volunteering to a new level within a targeted community, and it was an intergenerational effort."

Create The Good enables people to make a difference in the lives of others, whether through a five-minute online commitment or an ongoing engagement. Create The Good offers a variety of ways volunteers can make a difference to people in their own community — whether it be five minutes or five hours.