In 2012, Bob Bell discovered a heartbreaking truth: in schools across the Denver area, children were going home on Friday afternoons not knowing if they’d eat again before Monday. What began as one man’s determination, along with volunteers from the Arvada Rotary Club, quickly became a movement. Together, they filled and delivered the first weekend food bags, or PowerSacks, to just two Denver public schools.

What started small has since grown into a powerful community effort. Food For Thought Denver now serves over 75 schools across the Denver area, providing weekend meals to tens of thousands of children every week.

And we’re still a 100% volunteer-run organization.

In Denver, 1 in 7 children experiences food insecurity, and for many, the lunch they receive at school on Friday is the last full meal they’ll have until Monday morning. This hunger affects physical and mental health, the ability to learn, and the chance to thrive.

We’re here to change that.

Our mission is simple but urgent: to close the weekend hunger gap for Denver’s children and ensure that no child goes hungry. Period.

Every Friday morning, hundreds of volunteers come together to pack PowerSacks filled with non-perishable food items, enough to feed a family of four for two full meals. This support comes from our neighbors, students, local businesses, friends, family, and community groups. By Friday afternoon, those PowerSacks are in the hands of our kiddos to take home with them for the weekend.

Because we give a PowerSack to every student in the schools we serve, we eliminate stigma, reduce barriers, and make sure that every child who needs food gets it — no questions asked.

Food for Thought Denver strives to eliminate weekend hunger for children in the Denver area by providing food Powersacks. Doing so allows them to contribute more positively to their school environment and the communities in which they live, regardless of economic and social class. We believe that no child should go hungry.