DENVER — 10 percent of Coloradans say they struggle with hunger and do not always have enough money to buy food. One local program called We Don’t Waste is working to fill the gap. The non-profit organization says hunger is an ongoing issue in the United States that should not be a problem.

“There’s a lot of need,” an employee with We Don’t Waste said.

Organizers with We Don’t Waste say one in six kids in Colorado do not live with adults who can afford adequate food. To try and get that number down. We Don’t Waste does its best to gather food that would usually be thrown out.

“We collect food — restaurant-grade food that otherwise would be thrown away into the landfills,” We Don’t Waste said.

According to the organization, perfectly good food is frequently thrown away, so it works to get the fresh food before it is tossed in the garbage.

We Don’t Waste said, “We’re picking up directly from farms, from food manufacturers, from food distributors [and] growers.”

The process is simple: The group gets the food from a restaurant, farm or distributor before taking it to people who need it most at food banks or shelters.

Mark Stratford, with the Arvada Community Food Bank, said the perception that people in hunger will eat anything is a myth.

“They’re just like you and me. They want selection. They want variety,” Stratford said. “Our partnership with We Don’t Waste helps us ensure that we can give them selection and variety.”

We Don’t Waste provides canned goods alongside fresh fruits and vegetables. People in need appreciate the food.

“Without that I wouldn’t have enough,” shopper Angie Manzanares said.