3 Years, 31 Selections, $7318 in donations
When Sandy Martin helped launch Community Table in 1982, she thought the nonprofit food pantry might only be needed for a few years. More than four decades later, the need in the communities Community Table serves has only grown, and so has her commitment to meeting it. Now President and CEO of the organization she helped found, Martin continues to champion a mission rooted in compassion, dignity and the belief that no one should have to face hardship alone.
Community Table has evolved from a grassroots effort founded by local faith leaders into a lifeline serving families across Arvada, Westminster, Wheat Ridge, Lakewood, Golden, Edgewater, Broomfield and surrounding communities.
“We realized we had a problem with hunger in our community,” Martin recalled. “A group of us came together and asked, ‘How can we fight this together and get food into people’s homes?'”
That simple question became the foundation of Community Table, and the organization has continued to evolve to meet the changing needs of its neighbors.
The Power of Community
What has sustained Community Table, and Sandy, all these years isn’t just food. It’s people.
It’s the volunteers who show up week after week. The donors who quietly give without expecting recognition. The community partners working together to remove barriers for struggling families. And local businesses. By creating the Fight Hunger bag program, King Soopers has generated ongoing, much-needed support.
“What has helped me personally over the years is seeing the generosity of people,” Martin said. “Their care and concern for their neighbors has been overwhelmingly beautiful.”
She has witnessed this kindness and generosity shine in countless ways, from volunteers stocking pantry shelves to former clients returning years later to lend a helping hand to someone facing the same challenges they once overcame.
More Than a Food Pantry
While food assistance remains at the heart of the organization, Martin believes its true impact extends far beyond meals.
“Food is the beginning point for our organization,” she said. “But once people get here, they find a lot of different services they can access that help their lives and help them get to a level of self-sufficiency.”
“It’s not easy to come in and ask for help,” Martin said. “But it’s a very strong thing to do when you’re taking care of your family.”
Each day, Community Table welcomes 80 to 100 families through its client-choice pantry, designed to feel more like a neighborhood grocery store than a traditional food bank. Families choose the foods that best meet their needs, creating a shopping experience centered on dignity and choice.
“It’s not easy to come in and ask for help,” Martin said. “But it’s a very strong thing to do when you’re taking care of your family.”
That philosophy extends throughout Community Table’s recently renovated Arvada facility, where families can meet privately with resource specialists, access community services, and shop knowing their children are cared for in a supervised waiting room.
Helping Families Move Forward
Community Table’s services extend well beyond those store shelves. Through partnerships with Jefferson County and Adams County Human Services, visitors can receive help applying for SNAP benefits, Medicaid and other support programs without having to travel to county offices.
The nonprofit also provides rent and utility assistance, operates mobile food pantries for seniors and individuals with disabilities, and runs Feeding the Future, a program that sends weekend food home with children who rely on subsidized school meals during the week.
One initiative especially close to Martin’s heart is the organization’s GED program, which provides participants with free tutoring, books and testing assistance.
“We remove the barriers,” Martin said. “If you don’t have a job because you don’t have a GED, it’s hard to pay for the books and testing. We want people to succeed.”
The program currently serves more than 20 participants, with additional students on a waiting list. Several graduates have already earned their GEDs and moved into employment, creating new opportunities for themselves and their families.
The Courage to Ask for Help
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Community Table remained open as demand for assistance surged. Martin remembers greeting families in lines that stretched around the block, many of whom had never imagined they would need help from a food pantry.
One couple arrived dressed in their Sunday best. Fighting back tears, they explained that unexpected hardships had left them unsure how they would afford food.
“They said, ‘God bless you, and thank you for being here because we didn’t know what we were going to do,'” Martin recalled. “That’s a story I will carry with me forever.”
More than the words themselves, Martin remembers what they represented: the courage it takes to ask for help and the importance of meeting people with compassion when they do.
When Kindness Comes Full Circle
Perhaps no story captures the spirit of Community Table better than the anonymous donor who arrives every holiday season carrying an envelope filled with cash.
He never asks for recognition, leaves his name or even requests a receipt. His message is always the same: “Community Table was here when I needed help. I’m doing well now, so I’m giving back to help someone else.”
For Martin, his annual visit is a reminder that kindness has a way of coming full circle. A helping hand offered during someone’s darkest moment can become an opportunity for that same person to lift up another family years later.
“Community Table was here when I needed help. I’m doing well now, so I’m giving back to help someone else.”
Stronger Together
Community Table’s mission is strengthened by King Soopers, which turns compassion into action through its Fight Hunger bag program. Shoppers can support local nonprofits fighting hunger simply by purchasing a participating reusable bag.
Since joining the program in 2024, Community Table has received more than $7,000 in funding. “The beauty of this program is that King Soopers trusts us,” Martin said. “They understand that families facing food insecurity often have other challenges happening, too. The funds allow us to put resources where they’re needed most.”
That flexibility allows Community Table to direct resources where they can make the greatest impact, whether that means stocking pantry shelves, supporting educational programs or helping families navigate unexpected financial challenges.
“The beauty of this program is that King Soopers trusts us,” Martin said. “They understand that families facing food insecurity often have other challenges happening, too. The funds allow us to put resources where they’re needed most.”
Looking Ahead
As Community Table looks to the future, Martin remains focused on the same purpose that inspired a small group of faith leaders more than four decades ago: helping neighbors care for one another.
That mission now has a renewed home. Through a partnership with the City of Arvada and more than $1 million in community-supported improvements, Community Table has created a welcoming space where families can access food, resources and support under one roof.
But Martin believes the organization’s future will be shaped not by a building, but by the people who continue to rally around it.
Whether through volunteering, donating, purchasing a Fight Hunger bag at King Soopers or simply checking in on a neighbor who may be struggling, she believes everyone has a role to play.
“Your next-door neighbor could be using our services right now,” Martin said. “We hope people will come visit us, take a tour, volunteer and become part of this greater effort to help people out.”
Organizations like Community Table remind us that the human spirit is at its best when people come together in service to others. What begins with one act of kindness can inspire another, creating a ripple effect that strengthens families, uplifts neighbors and transforms communities.
Published August 18, 2026.