La Plata County Resources

Food

See the program details at the following links for more information. Programs may require proof of residency and/or that other conditions be met to access the resources.

If you need assistance signing up for state programs such as SNAP or WIC, many of the organizations below can help with the process.

The list is divided by the city/town location of the food resources, but that does not necessarily dictate eligibility. For example, the Durango Area Food Bank serves La Plata County residents overall.

Bayfield

• Bayfield Meals On Wheels - Contact the Kitchen Manager at the provided link to register for Bayfield area home meal delivery, for elgiible seniors and caregivers. There is a suggested donation for the meals. If outside the delivery area described, frozen meals are available for pickup at the Pine River Senior Center.
• Bayfield School District - Healthy School Meals for All - Bayfield schools participate in the Colorado program that supports their offering no-cost breakfast and lunch to all students during the school year.
• Pine River Senior Center Lunch - Hot lunch is served at the center in Bayfield on Wednesdays and Fridays. Call ahead to the number at the link to reserve a spot. There is a suggested donation amount.
• Pine River Shares - PRS operates in Bayfield and offers a food share program, community dinners, and the Bayfield Kids 4 Kids (BK4K) Backpack Food Program. BK4K is available for Bayfield Elementary School and Bayfield Primary School schools; inquire at the school offices to sign up. The backpacks provide food for weekends during the school year for eligible students. For the PRS food share program, there is not an income limit for participating. PRS is a distribution point for Senior Food Box/CSFP enrollees (see below).

Durango

• Durango 9-R School District - Healthy School Meals for All - 9-R schools participate in the Colorado program that supports their offering no-cost breakfast and lunch to all students during the school year.
• Durango Area Food Bank - Several different food assistance programs are offered at the food bank. La Plata residency is required for most, though the Ready-To-Eat Box is available for clients without housing. There is a Home Delivery program for people with disabilities or mobility issues. Book an appointment via the food bank site link. Some distributions require enrollment in TEFAP (see below). The Food Bank is also distribution point for CSRP enrollees (see below). Call the Food Bank to discuss enrollment if needed.
• Durango Meals On Wheels - Contact the Kitchen Manager for the Durango Senior Center at the provided link to register for home meal delivery within the listed areas, for elgiible seniors and caregivers. For the weekend or for outside the delivery area listed, frozen meals are available.
• Food Not Bombs - Mutual aid group providing a community potluck meal every Sunday from 2-4PM at Buckley Park in Durango. Check their page to confirm no location changes on a given day. Medical resources also on site.
• Fort Lewis College Grub Hub - The Grub Hub offers both a food pantry during listed hours, as well as hot lunches Monday through Friday. Available to students, staff, faculty, and community members.
• La Plata Family Centers Coalition - Emergency community pantry food items available, including infant formula.
• La Plata Senior Center Lunch - Hot lunch and a salad bar is served Monday through Thursday at the center in Durango. A Grab & Go meal is available Fridays. There is a suggested donation amount.
• Manna - The Durango Soup Kitchen - Manna has a variety of food options, including a Take-Out Window, Community Fridge, a Food Market (grocery store-like experience) and Backpack Program. The first 3 options area available to anyone who needs food. The Backpack Program is in partnership with Durango 9-R school district - inquire with your child's school for eligibility. The program provides weekend meals during the school year for eligible students.
• St. Columba Parish Food Pantry - The St. Columba Food Pantry is located at 1833 E. 2nd Ave. Hours of operation are on Wednesdays from 9-11:00 am and on Fridays from 11:30-1:30 pm. Non-perishable items are available.

Ignacio

• Ignacio Meals on Wheels - The Ignacio Senior Center offers home delivered meals for eligible seniors, as well as for caregivers that meet the caregriver criteria. Contact the Senior Center at the listed number.
• Ignacio School District - Healthy School Meals for All - The Ignacio school district participates in the Colorado program that supports their offering no-cost breakfast and lunch to all students during the school year.
• Ignacio Senior Center Lunch - Meals are served at the Senior Center Tuesdays, Wednesays, and Thursdays. There is a suggested donation amount.
• Southern Ute Indian Tribe Food Distribution Program - Those enrolled in the program can pick up their food montlhy via a shopping-like selection experience, with delivery options available for elders and disabpled recipients. A combination of shelf-stable, frozen, and fresh food is available. Call 970.563.2530 or visit the Food Distribution Center to discuss eligiblity and program enrollment.

La Plata County

• Good Food Collective -

State Level Programs and Resources

• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) - The SNAP program (formerly known as Food Stamps) provides funds to help low-income households purchase food. College students may also qualify based on student criteria. Once enrolled in the program, you will receive an Electronic Cash Benefits (EBT) card that can be used like a debit card at eligible locations such as grocery stores. Use the SNAP Retail Locator to find stores that accept SNAP.
• Colorado WIC - WIC provides food assistance for eligible parties during pregnancy, breastfeeding, infancy, and while a child is under 5 years old. Eligibility requirements include living in Colorado, but do not require being a US citizen. The WIC Clinic for La Plata is in Durango and is part of the county Health Department. You can use both WIC and SNAP during the same grocery transaction if enrolled in both. There are Colorado WIC-approved grocery stores in Durango and Ignacio.
• The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) - Eligibility for TEFAP is based on being at/below the indicated household income levels and/or enrollment in another program listed on the page at the link. You can sign up for TEFAP at the Durango Area Food Bank above.
• Every Day Eats/Senior Food Box/Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) - Coloradans age 60 and over with a qualifying household income level can enroll in Every Day Eats, the Colorado version of the CSFP. Enrollees can receive food distributions at authorized locations. The Durango Area Food Bank and Pine River Shares (see above) are distribution points in La Plata.
• Double Up Food Bucks Colorado - If you are enrolled in SNAP, you can use this program to get additional funds to buy fresh fruits and vegetables at eligible locations such as Durango Natural Foods and the Durango Farmer's Market. Use the location map to find area locations participating in the program.
• Hunger Free Colorado - This site

Food Safety and Recipes

• Budget Bytes - Tested and tasty recipes written with low cost in mind. Each recipe contains a cost breakdown. There are a variety of category lookups that can be used to help find recipes, incluidng cost of the recipe, by special diet, by ingredient (perhaps you got a lot of a particular item in a food box or farm share), and more. Also has cooking tutorials, particularly useful if you don't have as much cooking experience.
• Recipe Radar - Find recipes based on ingredients you have on hand, along with the ability to select dietary requirements and exclude foods

High Altitude Cooking/Baking

Being at high altitude as we are in La Plata county means lower atmospheric pressure. And that in turn has an impact on how food bakes and cooks here. Some adjustments can be needed depending on the recipe, either to get a higher-quality end result or in some cases, have it be edible at all (dried beans!).

• Colorado State University Extension Office - High-Elevation Food Preparation - University Extension Offices are a great resource for food preparation and preservation information. This page gives high altitude guidelines for cooking and baking numerous categories of food. There is an extension office in Durango and they
• King Arthur High-Altitude Baking Guide - King Arthur Baking Company is a source for a wide variety of baker-tested recipes. Their high-altitude guide covers the different sorts of adjustments you can make to ensure baked goods come out as expected.