Mission: To cultivate a healthy, equitable food system in the greater Colorado Springs community.
About: Founded in 2013, our flagship program designed to reduce food waste while increasing food access, quickly evolved into our “organism with a mission” — multi-faceted programming working together to cultivate a healthy, equitable food system in the greater Colorado Springs community. So, we’ve recently changed our name and look from Colorado Springs Food Rescue to Food to Power in order to reflect the breadth of work we do more clearly.
We know that food is an essential source of everyone’s power to work, play, serve, and live. Our mission is to transform every aspect of our food system into co-powerment and equity. From food, to power.
Location: Colorado Springs, CO
Patience Kabwasa
Executive Director
Patience Kabwasa is the Executive Director of Food to Power, a community-driven food equity organization in Colorado Springs. Under her leadership since 2020, the organization has completed two capital campaigns totaling over $3 million to build the Hillside Hub and infrastructure of Colorado's first neighborhood food center and urban farm serving Southeast Colorado Springs.
With over 20 years experience in community-based food systems and food justice work, Patience has guided Food to Power's transformation from a college-based food rescue project to a comprehensive organization addressing immediate food access needs while advocating for systemic change manifesting in the transformation of the name and organization from Colorado Springs Food Rescue to Food to Power. Her strategic leadership has expanded the organization to the height of its operations to a team of 20 staff members who distribute over 406,000 pounds of food annually, engage hundreds of youth in leadership development, and operate a growing compost social enterprise.
Patience is a respected food policy advocate whose work has influenced both local and national decisions. She successfully mobilized community response to the King Soopers closure in Southeast Colorado Springs and contributed to the FTC's decision to challenge the Kroger-Albertson merger. She has testified before Congressional leaders in defense of food assistance programs and represented Colorado Springs at national food policy conferences.
Before her role as Executive Director, Patience served Food to Power as Director of Education and Director of Programs, and a Board member giving her a comprehensive understanding of all aspects of food system transformation. Her earlier career as a Property & Casualty, Life & Health Insurance Producer developed her strong communication skills and ability to translate complex systems for diverse audiences.
Patience holds a Doctorate of Humane Letters, honoris causa from Colorado College and whose academic focus is in Strategic Communications at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. She is deeply committed to community wealth building, racial equity, and creating food systems where communities heal and thrive in relationship with food, land, and each other.
Kathy Maestas
Accounting Manager
Kathy Maestas is an independent consultant with over 32 years of nonprofit experience. She works and supports a variety of nonprofits including Food to Power. She holds a B.S. in Accounting from the University of Denver and a Masters of Public Administration with a Concentration in Nonprofit Organizations from the University of Colorado at Denver Graduate School of Public Affairs.
After working for numerous nonprofits in various capacities, she decided to start her own consulting business 18 years ago. In that time, Kathy has supported over 40 organizations, ranging from grassroots startups to national foundations. While her primary focus is accounting support, she also provides expertise in fundraising event management and leadership support during organizational transitions. Her work spans diverse missions, including food justice, reproductive justice, disability rights, mental health advocacy, college education access and scholarships, leadership development and arts & cultural awareness.
Additionally, Kathy volunteers her time and has served on several non-profit boards including Organizing Roots (CA), The Wayfaring Band and the Autism Society of Colorado. Notably, she helped establish CEDIL, a bilingual learning center in Puerto Rico for children with special needs while living in PR (2003-2009). Her commitment to community has been recognized as a Latinas First Foundation Unsung Heroine (2019) and the Latino Leadership Institute Luminaria recognition (2017). Kathy has a sincere passion for empowering people and building strong long-lasting relationships, which is evident in both her professional and personal life. Kathy is also the proud mother of three children: Sierra, Sage, and Sofia.