As the holiday season begins, residents of Summit County are coming together to tackle food insecurity in their community. Local entrepreneur and founder of Biked Goods, Tyler Zipperer, has initiated a fundraising campaign aimed at providing meals for families in need. According to the organization No Kid Hungry, one in five children in the United States faces hunger, a reality that resonates even in this ski resort area.
Zipperer has long been dedicated to using his business to support youth organizations that promote outdoor activities and provide meals for children. He highlighted the impact of recent government shutdowns and SNAP funding restrictions on families in the region, emphasizing the need for community action.
Collaborative Efforts to Raise Funds
In his latest initiative, Zipperer has partnered with Mountain Dweller Coffee Roasters and CreativCat to sell his specially crafted Morning Shift Granola at the coffee shop throughout December. The chocolate chunk flavored granola, made by Zipperer himself, will help raise funds for Smart Bellies, an organization dedicated to filling holiday meal boxes for children. For every bag sold, $5 will be donated to Smart Bellies, with each $25 raised providing meals for a family.
“We have a $1,000 goal that we are trying to meet,” Zipperer stated. He explained that customers can contribute in several ways, including ordering a Morning Shift yogurt parfait at Mountain Dweller, which will also donate a portion of the sales to Smart Bellies. Additionally, patrons can make direct donations at checkout.
Zipperer’s efforts extend beyond the coffee shop. He plans to produce granola for Smart Bellies’ holiday meal boxes, marking the fourth consecutive year he has collaborated with the Team Summit mountain bike team. This year, athletes from The Cycle Effect will join the initiative to prepare granola at Cool River Coffee House in Breckenridge. The granola baking event is scheduled for mid-December, ahead of the meal boxes distribution on December 19, 2023.
Community Support and Fundraising Campaign
To secure the necessary ingredients for the granola, Zipperer has launched a GoFundMe campaign aiming to raise $350. He expressed his deep personal connection to the cause: “I think about myself personally. Being fortunate enough to buy groceries to feed me and my family to do the things we love… To have a kid that faces food insecurity is hard for me to think about.”
As a board member of the National Center of Youth Development, Zipperer believes that access to food is crucial for children’s growth and development. “Knowing the power of food and what it can do to bring people together is why I do this,” he explained. His vision is to spread this message through his partnerships with local organizations.
Zipperer acknowledges the importance of community support in achieving these goals. “It takes a village to raise kids in the community,” he said, emphasizing that collaboration is essential, especially given the challenges posed by reduced SNAP benefits. “A lot of people I have worked with have put in endless time. I cannot thank them enough.”
For those interested in supporting the Morning Shift Granola fundraising campaign, more information is available at BikedGoods.co/shift. Through these collective efforts, the Summit County community aims to make a meaningful impact on food insecurity and ensure that no child goes hungry this holiday season.
