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West Denver Residents Get Free Produce

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Aug 19, 2009 6:54 pm US/Mountain

West Denver Residents Get Free Produce

Written for the Web by CBS4 Special Projects Producer Libby Smith

Reporting
Karen Leigh
DENVER (CBS4) ― At Rude Park in Denver, tents were set up and signs pointed the way to free food. This was the scene at July's Taste of the Garden Produce and Health Fair. Participants got information about programs and community resources that promote healthy living, but most importantly they got a bag of free produce.

"I love this event," said Beverly Tafoya-Dominguez, Health Education Specialist for Denver Public Health and event organizer. "It's so important because so many people do not receive the number of fruits and vegetables in a day in order to be healthy."

Volunteers bag up the produce which includes potatoes, squash, spinach, tortillas and yogurt. The fresh vegetables are extras from the Food Bank of the Rockies and instead of spoiling; they've become the spoils for families in need.

"We're targeting low-income families who need extra help with food," said Rocio Perez, a volunteer with the event.

"It helps us with extra food at the end of the month. My husband gets paid just at the first of the month, so it helps us stretch our food bill a little bit," said Cindy Milner, a food recipient.

Participants don't just walk away with a bag of food; they also get a lesson in how to prepare that food. Operation Frontline Colorado does cooking and nutrition demonstrations for the community. They were on hand to cook up this particular day's vegetables into tasty quesadillas. And they give away recipes to help families use the free food at home.

"People are generally very pleased," Tafoya-Dominguez added.

The Taste of Garden Produce and Health Fairs are put on as a collaboration between Denver Public Health, LiveWell West Denver, Food Bank of the Rockies, Denver Parks & Rec, and Operation Frontline Colorado. They only run through the summer months and the last one is coming up on Friday. It will be held from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Iglesia Cristo Rey Church on Raleigh Street in Denver.

(© MMX CBS Television Stations, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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