We have spent the better part of a month focused on the life, health and safety of our residents. The historic 43-day shutdown stretched systems, including our non-profits and other social safety programs, to their limits. In addition to the 3000 Teller County residents who lost SNAP benefits, we also had hundreds of active duty and furloughed federal workers without a paycheck.
Recognizing our five food banks would be inundated with requests and also with donations, the Teller County Board of County Commissioners, working with our first responders, county employees, elected officials, schools, faith based organizations, OEM and the Sheriff, took proactive steps to prevent the food crisis from becoming an emergency. We provided overwatch and centralized control of food distribution that enabled our food pantries to not only remain stocked but to provide the right types of food at the right locations.
As part of the response, the County also created a centralized SNAP information and donation page, provided daily updates, identified donation drop-off sites, and used GIS mapping to help residents find resources quickly. These tools helped keep information clear and consistent throughout the shutdown and supported the coordinated effort across the county.
We also received approximately $150,000 in donations from Teller County organizations and El Pomar specifically for this crisis, along with Teller County funds which helped provide fresh beef, turkeys and additional support including freezers.
We want to thank the hundreds of Teller County residents who donated food items continuously and who participated in our two food drives to ensure that nobody in our county, including our children and our elderly, went hungry. While we have always taken care of our own and are a resilient rural county, our residents and our non-profits went above and beyond any of our expectations and we are extremely proud and humbled by their support.
It was an honor to stand in the breach with each of you to help ensure that nobody in our county went hungry or was in need. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts and we could not be prouder of our county and our communities.
Teller County Board of County Commissioners