ALAMOSA — Care and Share Food Bank, the organization that bought the former Budweiser distribution site on the outskirts of Alamosa last fall, is making progress on transforming the facility into a food distribution site.

Nate Springer, president and CEO of Care and Share Food Bank, told the Valley Courier a soft opening is scheduled for next month with the facility storing and distributing food. A grand opening celebration is scheduled for May 11.

Springer, who was named president and CEO of Care and Share last July, brings his 23 years of executive leadership and logistics management from the U.S. military to his new position.

Care and Share annually serves 291 partner agencies with 20.4 million pounds of food, providing 203,339 Coloradoans with food, and managing a fleet of trucks delivering food to partner agencies.

Care and Share is a non-profit that has annual revenues of $54 million. Individual donations comprise 49% of revenue, government, 19%, and foundations, 18%. The group, incorporated in Colorado Springs in 1974, has a distribution center there and one in Pueblo.

Springer commented on the beneficial organization of the Alamosa facility, "Not only is it going to be great to have a distribution center in Alamosa to serve the San Luis Valley, but it will also cut our transportation time in half to our farthest outlying counties."

Care and Share is not new to the San Luis Valley, and the Alamosa distribution center will not compete with any existing food banks as it already partners with hundreds of agencies.

Last year, Care and Share trucks drove over 247,000 miles. The Alamosa center "will be able to get more food both in the San Luis Valley and to our partners in Southwest Colorado that are far away from us,” added Springer.

The 21-000 square feet facility in Alamosa has recently had its interior completely renovated and a new roof installed, said Springer. The Alamosa distribution center manager is Denny Toner. He will oversee a staff of about five employees.

Volunteering has always been central to Care and Share, last year over 44,000 hours of labor were given to the organization. Those interested in volunteering are encouraged to visit: www.careandshare.org.

"It's been a long time coming, but boy, this is going to be a game changer in the San Luis Valley and all of our partner agencies in Southwest Colorado,” said Springer.