About Our Give Back Program

As part of our dedication to the communities we serve, we give back to our community by being a connector, promotor & supporter of the Little Community Box movement. Currently, these boxes are set up outside of businesses, churches, fire stations, and residential homes within Olde Town Arvada, a new stop on the G-Line, and home to more than 90% of the boxes in the Greater Denver Metro and Jefferson County.

Mission & Vision

We want to make food assistance available to people in a way that upholds their dignity. Most people who need help won’t step foot in a food bank because it can trigger feelings of shame. These boxes make it possible for people to get the help they need discreetly, and are available 24/7/365 for anyone in the neighborhood.
We want to make donating accessible and easy for everyone. Most people want to contribute to those in need but have no idea how. Having a box in your neighborhood makes it possible for anyone to donate, at any time. LCB’s provide blessings for both contributors and recipients.
We want to inspire creativity. We believe these boxes can be not only functional but beautiful. Art on the box is what makes it unique, and gives your neighborhood a new personality. We encourage the painting—and repainting—of boxes with new art and new symbolism so they reflect the ever-changing personality of your neighborhood.

Our vision for this movement is for the boxes to belong to everyone, and for everyone to belong. Our intention is for these boxes be something the host location and the community that surrounds the box will love and support. For that reason, we wish for the host location to “name” their box, and add their own creative symbolism through art on the outside of the box. Further, the function of the box is whatever the host location and surrounding community wishes. Meaning they can put anything they want (within reason) inside the box as a donation.

3 Ways To Get Involved

1. Fill a box once a month on the same day

2. Clean a box once a month on the same day

3. Meet someone new standing beside a box

Find a box near you!

Download the official Free Food Now app

Frequently Asked Questions

Something happened to my box, how do I fix it?

Should something happen to your box the following volunteer contractors in Arvada are happy to assist you:

Steve Norton @ MacMillan Home Services

steve@macmillanhomeservices.com

(720) 552-4565

Gene Paul

(303) 949-5219

How do I join the waitlist to receive a box?

Before placing a box on your property we strongly recommend you talk to your neighbors about the idea of placing one in your neighborhood. Your box is completely community supported, so having the support of your community is important.

To join the waitlist email the Director of Mission Arvada, Rebel Rodriguez rebel@missionarvada.org

How can I help?

Thank you for your interest in joining the outdoor box movement! One way of supporting this movement is to help keep boxes filled. You can download the new box locator app and use it to navigate your way to boxes that need filling throughout Arvada.

We always need people to help clean and repair boxes.

For more volunteer opportunities email the Director of Mission Arvada, Rebel: rebel@arvadarising.com

How do I build my own?

For easy cleanup, shelves inside each box are removable. New hosts become fully responsible for their box (box name, artwork & occasional-to-frequent cleaning) and how the community supports it. If you don’t have the artistic touch to paint your box, nominate someone who can!

1
BUILD

2
PAINT

3
TAKE WHAT YOU NEED, LEAVE WHAT YOU CAN

Download Guide

(interview) How do you serve your community?

When I moved to Arvada, I joined the Rising Church and saw how much they were doing for the community immediately surrounding them. I loved it and became a member there in late 2014. It felt good to give back through them and I eventually started helping them with their media and websites. In late 2015, I found the Arvada Chamber and hit the ground running by joining the Arvada Young Professionals group and attending Organizations Serving Arvada meetings. Last year, I joined the Leadership Jefferson County program that is currently building a community garden at Foster Elementary.

I love to learn how other people are giving back. From my involvement with churches in Arvada and Northwest Denver, I learned that there were a lot of churches and organizations that wanted the same thing. That’s where I got a passion for helping them communicate their message efficiently through their website. Being able to effectively communicate your “why” and how your business helps the community helps to put others in touch with you and makes your job easier too.

(interview) What’s the most recent way your business has contributed to the local community?

Little Free Pantry at The Rising Church, St Paddy’s parade – March 2017

Installing the Blessing Box in Olde Town Arvada. It’s a community-sharing program and prior to moving to Colorado, we opened one lending library at a business in Iowa. But I found out that you could use these Little Lending Libraries either inside a business or outside as their own standing structure—and I took to that idea of having a community-sharing box.

Anything can be put in it, whether it is books or food or whatever it is that people who live there need or want, or choose to give. It’s a great opportunity for people who want to give back, especially to the homeless or a family who might require help with groceries that week. Having this available provides another outlet for individuals to get what they need when they need it. It also gives people in the community a way to give back. It isn’t always easy to know how to do that.

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