Kids Aid is a community solution to "helping kids be kids."
In 2004, as he was dropping his daughter off at school, Mike Berry encountered a little girl that was crying on the playground. He discovered that she was cold, tired from sleeping in her car the night before, and hungry. This interaction planted the seed for Kids Aid and became something he couldn’t ignore. Mike wondered, “Why isn’t someone doing something about kids in our community going hungry?” Then he realized he was that someone, and so he got to work.
He started the program in his garage feeding ten children each week. Moving the operation to his office, employees and clients navigated around boxes of macaroni and cheese and sat on cases of peanut butter. Thanks in large part to Mike’s infectious enthusiasm, Kids Aid then ran a successful capital campaign in 2016 for its own (free and clear) warehouse to call home.
Kids Aid is now available in over 115 locations serving preschool through college-aged students, with approximately 175 volunteers proudly assembling and delivering an average of 3,000 bags a week!
Vision, Mission & Values
When a child is hungry “being a kid” can be hard work. Kids Aid was created to provide food to hungry children within our community. Through the collaborative support of local schools, businesses and individual volunteers, Kids Aid is a community solution to “Helping Kids Be Kids.”
Our Vision
No child experiences hunger in Mesa County
Our Mission
To alleviate childhood hunger so kids can be kids
Our Core Values
- We value kids, considering their needs first
- We value human dignity, infusing compassion in all that we do
- We value community partnership, prioritizing collaboration and joint solutions
- We value clear and simple systems, increasing accessibility, efficiency, and responsiveness
- We value community contribution, acknowledging all who support our mission and vision
- We value connection, operating with gratitude and kindness
Staff & Board
Our crew at Kids Aid may be small, but we are mighty. We have one full time staff member, one part time staff member, and seven members of our board of directors. It is through the incredible care and coordination of each of these people that Kids Aid not only keeps being able to serve our community, but to be able to grow our programming and develop new ways to help children and families.
Tessa Kaiser Executive Director
Emilee Powell President
Vice President
Lucas Ferguson Treasurer
Mike Berry Secretary
Crystal Garcia-Becenti
Harry Willson
Stephanie Mercer
Community Partners
We highly value community partnership and community contribution, believing that together we are better. Together we serve more families, elevate our and our partners’ programs and practices, expand our reach to underserved populations, support our community’s health and wellbeing and ultimately, alleviate childhood hunger. Through our collaborative partnerships with individuals, organizations, businesses, and funders, we can do so much—and we are immensely grateful for our relationships.
Community Organizations and Service Clubs
- American Lutheran Church
- Canyon View Vineyard Church
- Crossroads United Methodist Church
- Debeque School District 49-JT
- Downtown Vineyard Church
- First Presbyterian Church
- First United Methodist Church
- Food Bank of the Rockies
- Fruita Lioness
- Fruita Rotary Club
- Grand Junction Rotary
- Grand Junction Seventh Day Adventist Church
- Grand Valley Peace and Justice
- Hilltop Community Resources
- Junior Service League
- Kiwanis Club of Grand Junction
- Mesa County Valley School District 51
- Newcomers Club
- Plateau Valley School District 50
- Redlands Lions Club
- Redlands United Methodist Church
- St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church/Ladies Fellowship
- STRIVE
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
- United Methodist Women – Crossroads Methodist Church
- Vestafjell Lodge 6-146 Sons of Norway
Foundations
- Abram and Ray Kaplan Foundation
- Clough Family Foundation
- Community First Foundation
- El Pomar Foundation
- Grand Junction Kiwanis Foundation
- Grand Junction Rotary Club Foundation
- Invest in Others
- Mesa County United Way
- Robert N. Gaby Estate
- Rocky Mountain Health Foundation
- Temple Buell Foundation
- The Kroger Co. Foundation
- Walmart Foundation
- Western Colorado Community Foundation
- Wilson Family Foundation
Businesses
- 1240 Partners, LLC
- 2h Mechanical, LLC
- Alpine Bank
- Appraisal Management
- Asset Engineering
- Autopaychecks, Inc.
- Blythe Group & Co.
- Bray Commercial, LLC
- Burton Orthodontics
- Caerus Oil & Gas
- Capco, LLC
- Carpetime
- Cars Helping Charities
- Cendera Funding
- Chamberlin Architects
- Christie Reece Real Estate, Inc.
- Colorado Log Furniture Company
- Colorado Sheet Metal Workers Apprenticeship & Training Fund
- Countertop Epoxy
- Country Inn Motel
- DA Davidson & Co.
- DaVita Dialysis
- EC Electric
- Elevate Kids
- Enstroms
- Family Counseling Center
- FCI Constructors, APC
- Fruita Thrift Shop
- Gear & Associates Realty
- GJ Enterprises, LLC
- High Country Beverage
- JLT Drilling Fluid Consulting, Inc.
- Keller Williams, Colorado West Realty
- Kohl’s
- Land Title Guarantee Company
- LD Sessions, LLC
- Legacy Wealth Management, LLC
- Mays Concrete, Inc.
- Mesa County Sherriff’s Office
- Mercer Automotive, Inc.
- Oldcastle SW Group
- OneHope
- Pampered Chef
- Reynolds Polymer Technology, Inc.
- Rexel
- Robinson and Co Realty, LLC
- Sam’s Club #6360
- Shelter Insurance: Carrie Konakis & Kerry Phillips
- Sorter Construction, Inc.
- The Untouchables Custom Embroidery
- Third Sector Innovations, Inc.
- Timberwolf Welding, Inc.
- Together Rising, Inc.
- Towner Real Estate
- United Way of Mesa County
- Walmart #4491
- Western Colorado Contractors Association
- Western Healthcare Alliance
- Western Slope Auto Company
- Whitewater Building Materials
News & Publications
To keep our community informed, we do our best to distribute an information-packed newsletter three times per year as well as postcards and email updates. For more frequent updates and current information, we use our social media platforms—Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter—to share updates about upcoming events, opportunities, and program changes. We’d love to keep in touch, so please follow us on your preferred platform!
For more in depth information about our organization, including current 990s, please visit our GuideStar Profile.
