Integrated Family Community Services

Integrated Family Community Services (IFCS) began in 1964 when south metro Denver resident Maida Navis noticed that some of her neighbors needed extra help. Working families were not making ends meet, neighborhood children went without necessities, and elderly residents were losing their independence. 

Mrs. Navis gathered neighborhood leaders for a “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” effort, forming the original Inter-Faith Task Force for Community Services. The task force provided services designed to help struggling neighbors achieve independent living – some for the first time. 

Those early leaders were determined to provide assistance that would always be a hand up rather than a handout. In 1968, IFCS was designated an “official poverty agency” of south metro Denver. 

Since 1964, in collaboration with community partners, IFCS has provided an immediate response to hunger, the most basic need.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, IFCS pivoted operations to support a growing number of households with groceries and other basic needs. IFCS is a safety net to support families and children during difficult times by providing food access to those who are hungry or facing food insecurity and other issues associated with poverty.

Integrated Family Community Services (IFCS) provides basic human services and enrichment programs to low-income people, using community resources. IFCS fosters self-sufficiency and respects the dignity of each client, serving the greater Denver metro area.

Through a variety of resources IFCS helps individuals and families achieve self-sufficiency. Best-known for our food market, IFCS services also nourish lives in a broader sense through financial assistance, school supplies, holiday grocery boxes, and recreation center vouchers.