CASE STUDY SECOR Cares Expands Food Delivery Efforts with Coldtainer

In the 1990s, a small church initiative in Colorado began collecting donations to help families in need at Christmastime. What started as a local effort soon grew into SECOR Cares, a community-driven organization that now provides food assistance to families across 55 zip codes in the Denver area. By partnering with churches, businesses, and making use of private donations and government grants, SECOR Cares has built a network of support that extends hope and dignity to everyone they serve.

A cornerstone of SECOR Cares’ mission is their Mobile Market, launched in 2018 with the support of Christian Brothers Automotive. This innovative program brings free groceries directly to communities where access to fresh food is limited. The Mobile Market is stocked with meat, fresh produce, bread, canned goods, and more, enabling up to 200 families to receive approximately two weeks’ worth of food during a 2-3 hour visit.

The Mobile Market operates by collaborating with local venues such as churches, campuses, and community centers. These partnerships allow SECOR Cares to set up temporary markets in areas where families face challenges reaching their brick-and-mortar location. This approach ensures that isolated senior citizens, food-insecure college students, and other underserved populations have access to nutritious food.

“The first thing we realized was just the tremendous need for these services,” explains SECOR Cares Director of Development Lisa Long. “And that need has just kept growing and growing. These are families, the elderly, college kids that depend on us. Most people don’t realize that Suburban areas are the fastest growing segment of poverty in this country. So, with the distances and larger areas involved, meeting the needs and delivering food to these people is a great challenge.”  

A Growing Need for a Better Solution

Initially, SECOR Cares faced significant challenges in delivering perishable food items within their budget constraints. Traditional refrigerated trucks were too expensive and inflexible for their needs, and other solutions failed to provide the necessary temperature control. The situation seemed like an insurmountable puzzle until they discovered Coldtainer.

Coldtainer’s portable, temperature-controlled containers offered a cost-effective and adaptable solution. Each bay within the Mobile Market vehicle can accommodate two Coldtainer units, allowing SECOR Cares to:

• Expand their food selection to include fresh produce, dairy, and frozen goods

• Maintain precise temperature control for perishable items

• Extend service hours at each location without worrying about spoilage

• Serve more people without increasing operational costs

The multi-temperature capability of Coldtainer units enables SECOR Cares to store different types of food at their optimal temperatures, a feature that was previously unattainable with traditional storage solutions.

“We couldn’t be happier with our Coldtainer units,” says Operations Manager Jonathan Daniels. “They solved so many issues for us. They were well worth the cost. One of the things that was most surprising to us was how easy the units were to use. They are basically plug-and-play. And the batteries last much longer than we were expecting. The Coldtainer units allowed us to do more things, and offer more food options than any of the other options we were looking into.”

A Lasting Impact on the Community

Today, SECOR Cares Mobile Market is outfitted with two Coldtainer units. These reliable, easy-to-use containers have transformed their ability to serve communities, allowing them to reach more families, provide better food options, and operate more efficiently.

SECOR Cares’ partnership with Coldtainer has transformed the way they serve communities in need, allowing them to deliver fresh, nutritious food with efficiency and reliability. As they continue to expand their reach, innovative solutions like Coldtainer play a vital role in fighting food insecurity. To learn more about how Coldtainer can support your organization’s temperature-controlled delivery needs, visit www.coldtainerusa.com today.

To support SECOR Cares in their mission to provide food and hope to families across the SE Denver metro, visit www.secorcares.com and learn how you can donate, volunteer, or get involved.