About
What is the Food Tote Program?
The Food Tote Program, initiated in 2021, directly responds to community needs by providing various food bag options—cultural, family, limited cooking, and senior—to suit diverse nutritional requirements.
The Program plans to continuously evolve, striving to align with individuals' ethnic food preferences and personal dietary needs, ensuring that no one in our community goes hungry.
Why this Initiative is Needed
The Food Tote program was started to meet needs
From 2017 to 2022, WMRHA was honored to lead the Center for Medicaid and Medicare's national Accountable Health Communities Model (AHCM) through the Rocky Mountain Health Plan. This role empowered us to collaborate with 25 clinics in the region to screen for critical social needs such as food, housing, transportation, utilities, social isolation, and domestic violence.
Over five years, we conducted an astounding 100,000 screenings on the western slope, with 20,000 in Garfield, Pitkin, and Eagle Counties. These screenings revealed an urgent need for food and housing support, underscoring our communities' challenges.
What Food Totes are
We offer four types of bags—cultural, senior, family, and limited cooking—to provide 24 hours of nourishment. Each tote includes a flyer with the most up-to-date resources, helping individuals access regular food assistance.
Where Food Totes are available
The food totes are given to anyone in need without any questions asked. These bags are available to clinic patients and anyone in need at local libraries. We're here to ensure that no one in our community goes hungry, showing care and compassion with every bag we provide.
- Mountain Family Health Center, Rifle
- Mind Springs Health, Glenwood Springs
- Roaring Fork Family Practice
- Castle Valley Children's Clinic, New Castle
- Castle Valley Children Clinic, Carbondale
- Grand River Hospital, Rifle
- Grand River Hospital, Parachute
- Paragon
- Valley View Hospital
- Women's Health
- Aspen Valley Primary Care
- Aspen Valley Hospital
- Mind Spring Health Aspen
- Community Health Services
- Libraries: Rifle, Silt and Parachute
The role of WMRHA
What is WMRHA's role in the Food Tote Program?
WMRHA, as the facilitator, partners with clinics, libraries, and organizations like LiftUp to ensure inclusive, barrier-free distribution of food totes, emphasizing temporary support that links individuals to ongoing aid
Learn more about our partners and
how your group, agency or organization
can get involved.
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