Customer To Executive Director: Mother Helping Other Struggling Families

DENVER (CBS4) - A Colorado mother knows all too well the struggles of being able to afford food for her family. That's why Christine Alford is now coming to help other families by leading the organization that helped her.

Four years ago, Alford was a young mother struggling to help provide for her family when a no cost grocery store changed her life.

"Having that resource right there readily available for me was so impactful for me and my family."

She recognized everyone should have access to healthy food and knew her neighbors didn't, so she started a no cost grocery program in her own neighborhood. She also joined the board of directors for Denver Food Rescue, an organization that gathers food that would otherwise be thrown out and distributes it to families in need.

"No matter what walk of life you come from food is medicine, and it's your birthright to have access to fresh healthy food for you and your family," Alford said.

Since then, Christine has worked her way up from customer to board member and now she's the executive director of Denver Food Rescue. The same organization that helped her in her time of need.

She says she thinks her experience can help the organization better serve the communities that need them.

"We can definitely learn textbook things, but without a lived experience to kind of go hand in hand with some of the policies and procedures that are here in Denver it's kind of blanketed," she said. "Resident-led and volunteer-driven models are the right way to go."

Alford says Denver Food Rescue is always looking for partners to help with their mission.