Food Bank Of The Rockies opens Aurora distribution center

AURORA, Colo. — Food Bank of the Rockies has opened a 270,000-square-foot distribution center in east Aurora to expand food storage and distribution across Colorado and Wyoming.

The facility replaces a location the organization used for 19 years and consolidates operations previously spread across multiple sites, including an overflow warehouse and off-site truck parking lot.

The center doubles the nonprofit’s storage and distribution capacity and expands refrigeration, volunteer space and workforce training programs. The organization said the new facility will allow it to increase food distribution and improve access to fresh and frozen foods.

“We are honored and humbled to open the doors to this incredible new facility,” said Erin Pulling, president and CEO of Food Bank of the Rockies. “This distribution center signifies far more than additional square footage. It represents a more efficient and dignified approach to hunger relief. By enhancing our operational efficiencies, we are better equipped than ever to support our network of more than 700 Hunger Relief Partners and the hundreds of thousands of neighbors who rely on us every day.”

The nonprofit reported increased demand for food assistance since Oct. 1, 2025, citing furloughs of federal employees and a temporary pause in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits in November.

“We purchased more than 150 additional truckloads of food from the end of October through January to continue meeting the record-high need and ensure everyone has enough to eat during the holiday season and through the SNAP pause,” Pulling said. “Sourcing, receiving and distributing this additional food has been a logistical challenge that our operations team worked tirelessly to overcome and it highlights our need for this purpose-built facility more than ever.”

Food Bank of the Rockies said it is also preparing for possible funding reductions to SNAP and Medicaid under the House Reconciliation Bill, H.R.1.

The new facility is expected to increase operations in several areas, including:

• Doubling cold storage for fresh and frozen food
• Tripling volunteer capacity
• Quadrupling kitchen space
• Increasing children’s meal production by four times and expanding access to fresh produce by up to 50%
• Increasing food storage capacity by 67%
• Reducing operating costs by more than $500,000 annually through consolidation and sustainability upgrades

The facility is located at 20600 E. 38th Ave. and supports partnerships with more than 700 hunger relief organizations. The nonprofit estimates 1 in 8 people, including 1 in 7 children, experience food insecurity across Colorado and Wyoming.

“We’re thrilled to see Food Bank of the Rockies’ ambitious vision come to life in this new facility,” said Emily Stromquist, executive director of Food for Hope. “At Food for Hope, we have seen firsthand how crucial it is to provide children and families in our community with the nutrition they need. The expanded capacity at Food Bank of the Rockies will have a profound and lasting impact and ensure we can supply all of our school programs with a larger variety of food, including more fresh and frozen items.”

The project was funded through a capital campaign supported by individual donors, corporations and foundations, along with New Markets Tax Credit investors Capital One, Colorado Housing and Finance Authority, Colorado Enterprise Fund, North Sky Capital and Rural Development Partners.

The project also received in-kind support from 9NEWS, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck LLP, CAA Icon, CBRE, Commerce Construction, FirstBank, Installnet, Majestic Realty and Yardi.

“For nearly five decades, Food Bank of the Rockies has worked tirelessly to be a critical food source for families in need,” said the Broe Family, which helped fund the Broe Family Cold Food Center inside the facility. “Their mission to fight hunger has never been more important. As a Colorado family, we are inspired by the work that the Food Bank does every day. We have seen the incredible impact Food Bank of the Rockies has on our community and we are proud to help make the new distribution center a reality.”