THE MILITARY FAMILY: Care and Share helps military families weather government shutdown

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- For the more than 44,000 civilian government employees across Colorado, as well as service members early in their careers, the government shutdown felt especially hard.

The prior, not paid on time for work done over a month's time; the latter, with already tight budgets seeking food pantries with added demand amid frozen Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. 

A total of 620,000 people in Colorado rely on SNAP benefits. 

It's obvious: a big chunk of those populations live in Southern Colorado. 

Thankfully, the Care and Share Food Bank has "Feeding America," a three-year-long hunger grant, specifically meant to meet needs in the military. 

"We're recipients of that now, as we have consistent money for military and veteran hunger -- active duty and veteran hunger for the next three years," said Nate Springer, CEO and President of Care and Share Food Bank. 

Springer is uniquely qualified for the job, having served 23 years in the Army.  

"I feel like it's my obligation, as someone who had a wonderful experience in the military for a few decades, to be able to help our young men and women that are giving their all for our nation."

Care and Share has expanded its reach within the military community at food giveaways and pantries on various installations, to include a mobile market. 

"It's a rolling grocery store.  We took beverage trucks and converted them into rolling grocery stores. We can drive that into a community or onto an installation, open up all the sides, pull out the shelving, and then people can just come in and shop for free at that mobile grocery store." 

600 families were served on Patriot Day at Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center, and 1,000 veterans and their families served during the Heroes Helping Heroes event in Pueblo. 

Care and Share serves a 29-county, 47,000-square-mile region -- a little under half of the state -- that stretches from Monument to the New Mexico border, and from Utah to Kansas.  It provides food to 278 other nonprofits. 

Looking for food assistance?  Click here. 

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