Donations damaged in Southern Colorado’s Care and Share Food Bank after severe rain and hail

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- The Care and Share Southern Colorado headquarters took a major hit over the weekend amid the heavy rain and hail storms.

The timing couldn't have been worse. Officials with Care and Share say food scarcity within the community is an all-time high, and the water that leaked into their building did damage a large amount of food stockpile.

"Friday night, about 5:30 p.m., the storm came through and it felt like it was raining inside this distribution center," said Lynn Telford, CEO of Care and Share Food Bank for Southern Colorado. "They did what they could to mitigate the damage, but there was a lot of water."

Since the outbreak of Covid-19, Care and Share has been operating mostly as a mobile market, where people can grab premade bags of food. 

Those supplies took the brunt of the storm. 

"Everything was just wet, the can foods will be okay, but a lot of other foods just won't be okay," said Telford.

And food isn't the only thing that sustained some damage. 

"One of the places it was really pouring down, was just above the battery equipment of our fork lift," said Telford. "We have three offices that are ruined; it went into our refrigerator and our freezers." 

Telford says they are still sorting through supplies to see exactly how extensive the damage is.

But until they make up for loss ground, they fear they won't be able to provide at the same capacity.

"We've distributed about 35% more food than normal to help people during the pandemic," says Telford. "We don't know how long it is going to take us to re-cooperate - but what we do know is the community always comes around us when we need help." 

Telford says the El Pomar Foundation has given Care and Share a ten thousand dollar donation to help them recoup from the storm.