The Zara Project

The Zara Project is a non-profit that focuses on feeding kids and their families when they need it. No child should experience this. Wow!!!!

While 70% of students in Denver Public Schools receive free and reduced lunches (FRL), the percentage of FRL at these four schools averages in the 90% range, which is unbelievably sad and troublesome. All four of these communities, like so many in the U.S., have been hit hard by the poor economy and poverty is evident in the lives of so many of our students and their families. I have a student tha

t arrives at school each day and asks me repeatedly, beginning in the morning, if it is almost time to eat lunch. Imagine trying to focus on learning to read when all you can think about is what is going on in your stomach. This boy needs your help; these families need your help!!! We appreciate your willingness to selflessly open your hearts and pocketbooks in order to touch the lives of so many young children and their families during tough times. The name is new, but the mission remains the same. We will continue to feed kids and their families for the two-week holiday break when they are not in school. The gratitude and relief expressed by families at both Lumberg Elementary (in the Jeffco Public Schools) and Johnson Elementary (in Denver Public Schools) has been heartfelt and astounding. I want to share with you some of what we have we have given together the last three winters. The numbers are impressive:

•4000 pounds of rice
•nearly 4000 pounds of beans
•600 boxes of cereal
•1000 pounds of pancake mix
•1000 jars of spaghetti sauce
•1000 packages of pasta
•350 jars of peanut butter
•175 jars of jelly
•over 4000 cans of vegetables
•thousands of pounds of meat
•800 packages of hot dogs
•800 boxes of mac&cheese
…and so much more I cannot list all of it. In reflection upon what we have already done for so many people in need, the next only option was to form The ZARA PROJECT in order to expand the number of families we feed moving forward. This year, TZP will continue to provide food boxes for families from both Lumberg and Johnson. We would also like to add two more schools, Stein Elementary in Jefferson County and Force Elementary in Denver County. If you would like to support the mission of The ZARA PROJECT again, or for the first time, there are many options. You can sponsor a family for $70, donate non-perishable goods or make a check out to The ZARA PROJECT for any amount and send it to 8040 W. Fairview Ave., Littleton CO, 80128. Also, we are looking for volunteers for December 11th and December 15th at a location to be determined. Call me or send me an email with questions. What we do together in The ZARA PROJECT’s first official project, will not only feed many families over the two week winter break this year, but will send a strong message to so many children that we are care about their well-being and are invested in their future. I and The Zara Project’s board members, thank you all from the bottom of our hearts. We can do this!!,

Kendra Smith

Executive Director

[email protected]

12/21/2024

Please watch the video to see what we all accomplished this year! Thank you to all of our supporters and if you still want to donate, I will make sure a family gets fed this week! Kendra Smith Berna Smith Jeffco Public Schools - Colorado Aldo, thanks Jeffco for highlighting our mission.

12/04/2023

A special thank you to Kendra, Berna and Chris for all the work that you do this week leading up to this Saturdays distribution event. The Zara Project is what it is because of each of you and all that you do throughout the year and in these final days leading up to Friday afternoon when we pick up the trucks and the food.

12/04/2023

5 more days until our biggest food distribution day event yet. A special Thank you to the entire team for all of their hard work this year to ensure that Saturdays event is another successful one.

There is still time to donate, as food coasts continue to soar, any donation to our program is greatly appreciated. 100% of your donation goes to families with children at title one schools in the Metro Denver and Jefferson county school district.

Looking forward to a busy Friday filling those trucks with food, calling the families to remind them of their pick up times and then the massive undertaking of distributing the food to families in need with our awesome volunteers.

Have a great week, and thank you for your continued support of The Zara Project!
Happy Holidays

The Zara Project-Closing the gap on childhood hunger.

11/17/2023

22 more days until our big food distribution event here in Denver. We are so grateful for our corporate sponsor Johns Manville who not only contributed finically to our organization again this year, they are once again sending a team of employees to help distribute food at Force Elementary School.
Thank you JM for your continued support of what we do for the families in need. To learn more about our organization and what we do, you can click on the link below, we even have a Donate Here button if you are interested in helping out a family in need this holiday season.
https://www.thezaraproject.org/

Countdown to December 9th continues.
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The Zara Project-Closing the gap on childhood hunger. Find out how you can help by donating your time during one of our distribution events, or by helping us during one of our fundraising

Photos from Jeffco Public Schools - Colorado's post

12/13/2022

05/07/2022

We love and appreciate educators and all staff that support our students!!!! Had to say thanks with some delicious Crumbl Cookies at Emory Elementary!

11/19/2021

Please check this article. It was a great day working with the kids!!

Thank you to the The Zara Project volunteers who recently unloaded 16,000 lbs of food in just under an hour! These volunteers are 5th & 6th grade students from Emory Elementary School, the Boys and Girls Club, and Alameda International. We also want to extend a special thanks to teacher – Kendra Smith – you are making a positive impact on our community!

11/11/2021

What a GREAT DAY! The team of The Zara Project rallied today to get 22,000LBS of food moved from Costco to Emory and Force Elementary Schools. It took three U-Hauls, countless volunteers and endless amounts of support from everyone involved to ensure the food that was secured for the December event was transported today. With the continued issues around supply chain and transportation, we had to change things up a little this year, and we made it work. Looking forward to seeing the finished event on December 11th. We are still looking for donations to help feed families in need. Please check us out at www.thezaraproject.org and click the DONATE button if you would like to contribute to a wonderful organization doing good for the community.
NO MORE Kendra Smith Berna Smith Chris Arteaga

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Telephone

+13032509637

Website

http://www.thezaraproject.org/

Address

8040 W Fairview Avenue
Littleton, CO
80128

The Zara Project

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