Getting food to the people who need it most during the pandemic has been a primary concern for many nonprofit organizations but what if the food being donated doesn t suit the needs of the people on the receiving end? That s the dilemma the Rocky Mountain Welcome Center was facing last spring and summer as the nonprofit s primary mission of helping immigrants and refugees integrate into new communities in metro Denver shifted to helping them simply survive the economic hardships created by the pandemic.
Jennifer Gueddiche, chief operating officer for the Welcome Center, says it wasn t enough to count on food banks and pantry donations to get food for the organization s clients, since many of them come from cultures where American staples are either unfamiliar or unsuitable for their religious and cultural requirements. Orthodox Christians and Muslims from Ethiopia, Somalia, Djibouti and Eritrea form a large part of the Welcome Center s clientele, so ensuring that halal meats, vege
Dining rooms and bars are where we gather to share good food and drink and good times with friends, family and neighbors. And while 2020 made gathering together difficult, restaurants are still here for us, whether we re able to eat their food inside, on a patio or in our own homes. Since eateries are doing everything they can to keep open and keep serving the dining community, we decided to move ahead with our annual Eat Here list of the 100 restaurants we can t live without – and hope we never have to.
Our list recognizes that greatness continues when and where we least expect it, and also serves as a thank you to the people cooking, serving, washing dishes, answering phones, delivering your food, enforcing the rules and making Denver a better city every day. Now get out and eat!