Read the official press release.

Hunger Free Colorado staff in front of the Capitol on Lobby Day

This May, staff from Hunger Free Colorado headed to Washington D.C. for the National Anti-Hunger Policy Conference, co-sponsored by the Food Research & Action Center and Feeding America.

At the conference, we had the opportunity to connect with passionate individuals from organizations across the country that are dedicated to ending hunger in their communities. The conference offered a variety of informational sessions and panels around legislative best practices and innovative advocacy methods to help fight hunger.

Our Community Organizer, Erika Cervantes, was a featured speaker on the panel for Healthy School Meals for All. During the discussion, she shared the effective organizing practices Colorado implemented that led to the successful passage of Prop FF: Healthy School Meals for All last November.

“We centered equity primarily by meeting people where they’re at,” Cervantes said. “We put boots on the ground, knocked on doors, and talked to folks in communities to directly inform them about the initiative.”

Erika Cervantes after the Healthy School Meals for All panel

As other advocacy groups continue to push for the adoption of universal school meal policies in their states, Cervantes emphasized the importance of prioritizing community involvement: “This came from community speaking up,” she stated. “The community knows what  the community needs.”

After the conference, Hunger Free Colorado staff headed to Capitol Hill to speak with the legislative aides of some of Colorado’s most prominent lawmakers, including Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper and Representatives Doug Lamborn and Diana DeGette. Our advocates advised them to support: childhood nutrition on a national level, a Farm Bill that that ensures SNAP benefits meet peoples’ nutritional needs and are accessible to all; and removing time limits on SNAP benefits that are conditional on meeting strict work requirements for working-age adults without dependents.

In addition, they offered guidance to lawmakers, urging them to safeguard SNAP during the current debt limit negotiations and warned against potential compromises that could harm SNAP and other crucial programs that provide essential support to low-income households.

Despite the ongoing expressions of support from numerous Colorado legislators for preserving SNAP benefits and expanding accessibility to crucial food resources, the journey towards achieving food sovereignty in our nation is ongoing. Nevertheless, Hunger Free Colorado remains steadfast in our pursuit of ending hunger, working diligently at both state and national levels to advance this vital cause.

We are in this for the long run, but right now we are taking a moment to honor the incredible achievements we accomplished this year in the state legislature – and the fact that we did this TOGETHER!

There were many important issues up for consideration this session, but we focused our attention on three key priorities aimed at addressing food insecurity:

1. 1. Food Pantry Grant Assistance Program: We are thrilled to share that just this week, House Bill 1364 passed, so this important program will be funded next year at $3 million. We had asked for an extension of five years to allow for more long-term stability for this critical initiative. This does mean we will need to come back next year, but it also means that emergency food providers and farmers can continue to build partnerships to purchase and provide meat, dairy and fresh produce to people in our communities.
   2. SNAP Outreach: The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides nutrition benefits to low-income households and serves as the first line of defense against hunger for many families facing financial crisis. According to the USDA Food and Nutrition Services (FNS), about 40% of low-income Coloradans do not access the program. SNAP Outreach helps to close this gap, and to ensure more Coloradans in need receive the benefits they are entitled to. We sought an increase of $500,000 to maintain current funding levels, since the program has experienced a recent loss of private dollars. We were not able to get the additional funding this year. Temporary measures will ensure SNAP Outreach continues to be funded at near the current  level for FFY 2022-23, but cuts will occur in FFY 2023-24 without additional funds. We will need to go back next year to ensure this does not happen. For now, we are glad that this important outreach will continue, so Coloradans will continue to be able to utilize SNAP to meet the needs of their families.
   3. Healthy School Meals for All: THIS IS THE BIG NEWS WE ARE SO EXCITED TO SHARE! Children need nutritious food to focus in school, stay healthy and support their well-being. Currently, all schools are temporarily able to provide school meals to any child who needs them as part of COVID-19 federal aid, but it is expiring on June 30th. Hunger Free Colorado and our partners set the lofty goal of moving legislation to find a more stable and long-term source of funding – and we did it! House Bill 1414 passed earlier this week.

This means that voters will now have the opportunity to approve a ballot question in the fall to secure stable, long-term funding for healthy school meals, support the ability of schools to purchase healthy and local foods, and increase wages for the workers who prepare and serve meals. The funding for this critical program will be provided by limiting state income tax deductions for the state’s highest earners, people making more than $300,000 a year.

This program would begin to fund meals in the 2023-2024 school year, so we also sought approval of one-time funding for next year.  This was not approved, but we will continue to find other avenues in collaboration with our partners to continue to get kids what they need to be healthy, to learn and to thrive. We should not allow any child to go hungry while they are trying to learn. We must come together to get this ballot measure passed and make this program permanent in our state! 

We are grateful to everyone who shared their story and provided testimony, to the advocates and partners who helped to educate and build support, to anyone who made calls or sent emails, and of course to the lawmakers who championed and voted for our priority policies.

We are excited to ramp up to pass Healthy School Meals for All through the ballot in November and to continue to work with our partners, with lawmakers and with YOU to find innovative and strategic ways to end hunger. Together, we are making a difference – and we will continue to do so! Thank you for being in this with us!

During the 2022 Legislative Session, Hunger Free Colorado will advocate for policies that strengthen an equitable food system and ensure all Coloradans can access the nutrition they need in their communities. While we will be supporting our partners as they work on legislation to address Coloradans’ basic needs and well-being through cash assistance, housing reform, and more, our main focus this session will be on three key anti-hunger policies:

1. Create a Path to Healthy School Meals for All Colorado Children

Children need nutritious food to focus in school, stay healthy and support their well-being. Currently, all schools are temporarily able to provide school meals to any child who needs them as part of COVID-19 federal aid. Colorado should make this temporary option permanent and help thousands of children access the food they need learn, grow and thrive every day at school. Investing in healthy school meals for all is an investment in strengthening communities, reducing administrative costs, eliminating lunch debt, removing shame and stigma from the lunchroom, freeing up resources for schools and staff and supporting student well-being. Want to join us to pass and fund a community-informed policy to create school meals for all children in Colorado public schools? Sign up to join our coalition!

2. Extend the Food Pantry Assistance Grant Program for five years

The Food Pantry Assistance Grant Program has provided a lifeline to food pantries, food banks, and Colorado producers throughout the pandemic. The grants go to direct emergency food providers like food pantries and food banks to allow them to purchase products from local producers. Furthermore, up to 20 percent of the grants can be used by pantries to invest in other needs including fridges and transportation. These funds help pantries provide foods that their communities most want and need but that can be hard for these operations to supply, like fresh produce, dairy, and proteins. Hunger Free Colorado is working with a coalition of food pantries, food banks, growers, and food systems navigators to extend and strengthen this program for another five years. The proposed legislation this session will extend the program for five years using federal and state funds and support local procurement through technical assistance and better aligning grant cycles with the growing season. This will help Colorado community-based organizations to continue their response to the historic hunger crisis caused by COVID-19, while also fostering relationships between food pantries and local agriculture for years to come, fueling health for Colorado families relying on pantries for nutrition, and supporting a more equitable food system. Join the Food Pantry Assistance Grant Legislation coalition and sign onto the bill fact sheet by filling out this form!

3. Sustainably Fund the SNAP Outreach Program in the state budget

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides grocery EBT benefits to low-income households and serves as the first line of defense against hunger for many families facing financial crisis. Colorado’s SNAP Outreach Program works with more than 50 community-based organizations to connect eligible households to food assistance, provide education and information on SNAP, and assist with enrollment. This is crucial, as about 40 percent of low-income Coloradans do not access the program due to barriers to enrollment that outreach can help mitigate. SNAP outreach also makes good financial sense. What the state invests in SNAP outreach services is matched dollar for dollar by the federal government. SNAP outreach also fuels economic recovery as families connected to SNAP receive federal money for food that they quickly spend in their local communities. By our estimates, in Federal Fiscal Year 2020 every state dollar invested in SNAP outreach brought $14 to Colorado families in the form of federal food benefits to help purchase groceries, with an economic stimulus impact of $21! We must fund SNAP outreach in the state budget at $1.5 million to continue the important support the program provides as COVID-19 continues to disproportionately impact low-income families and communities of color. This increase of $500,000 will maintain current funding levels since the program has experienced a recent loss of private dollars. Complete this form to add your organization as a supporter of the SNAP Outreach funding request!

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You can help us pass these crucial policies! Sign up for our email advocacy list for legislative updates and to learn when there are opportunities to weigh in on these and other policies that impact Coloradans facing hunger.

La equivocada política de “carga pública” aumentará la pobreza y el hambre

DENVER (28 de enero de 2020) — Este lunes (27 de enero), la Corte Suprema de EEUU resolvió levantar temporalmente el mandato cautelar nacional que bloqueaba la implementación de la nueva regulación de carga pública de la Administración Trump. Esta nueva regla permitiría a los funcionarios de inmigración considerar el uso de una gama más amplia de beneficios públicos, incluido SNAP (antes conocido como cupones de alimentos o estampillas de comida) al determinar si es probable que alguien se convierta en una carga para el gobierno de EEUU en el futuro.

Hunger Free Colorado (Colorado Sin Hambre) se opone firmemente a la nueva regla de la carga pública y está profundamente decepcionado por la decisión del Tribunal supremo de permitir la implementación de una norma que causará daños irreparables a la salud y el bienestar de las comunidades de Colorado.

Como la principal organización contra el hambre del estado, Hunger Free Colorado anticipa que la implementación de esta regla cause aumentos generalizados en la pobreza, el hambre y las necesidades de salud insatisfechas al hacer que las familias inmigrantes tengan miedo de usar SNAP y otros beneficios públicos para capear las tormentas de la vida.

Si bien la regulación afecta directamente solo a un pequeño número de inmigrantes, el miedo y la confusión causados ??por la regla ya han provocado que muchas familias renuncien a la asistencia pública vital que fortalece a nuestras comunidades, asistencia que legalmente tienen derecho a recibir. Aunque la regla no considera el uso de beneficios por parte de ciudadanos estadounidenses o personas que no están sujetas a la prueba de carga pública, estos grupos sentirán el impacto dañino de estas regulaciones debido al temor que causa a su familia, familia extendida y comunidad. 

Para aclarar, si bien la nueva regla es perjudicial, también tiene un alcance limitado. Queremos recordar a los habitantes de Colorado que los recursos alimenticios permanecen disponibles y accesibles en espacios seguros. La mayoría de los inmigrantes que califican para los programas de asistencia pública afectados, como SNAP, no están sujetos a carga pública porque estos programas ya tienen requisitos de elegibilidad muy estrictos.

La prueba de carga pública no se aplica a todos los inmigrantes. Los refugiados, asilados, sobrevivientes de tráfico de personas, violencia doméstica y otros delitos graves, y otros inmigrantes “humanitarios” no se ven afectados. Los residentes permanentes legales (o “titulares de la tarjeta verde”) no se ven afectados a menos que abandonen EEUU durante más de 180 días y busquen volver a ingresar. Tampoco hay prueba de carga pública durante el proceso de solicitud de ciudadanía. 

Muchos programas no están incluidos en la nueva regla. Los programas vitales de alimentos y nutrición como WIC, comidas escolares gratuitas y de precio reducido, despensas de alimentos, comedores populares y más no están incluidos en la prueba de carga pública. Si un individuo no está sujeto a la prueba de carga pública, le recomendamos que continúe usando los beneficios de SNAP, también conocidos como cupones de alimentos, para los que ellos y su familia son elegibles. 

Llame a nuestra línea directa gratuita, bilingüe y confidencial de recursos alimentarios al 855-855-4626 para obtener más información sobre los recursos alimentarios en su comunidad. No se necesitan citas, llame de lunes a viernes (de 8 am a 4:30 pm) y lo conectaremos a usted y a su familia con recursos alimenticios nutritivos cercanos.

The US Department of Agriculture is proposing a rule that threatens to severely limit a provision in the SNAP program (also known as food assistance or food stamps) called broad-based categorical eligibility (BBCE). 

Colorado (and 40 other states) use BBCE to modestly raise SNAP income and savings limits so working families who are struggling to make ends meet due to our state’s high living costs, such as housing, energy, and childcare, can still receive this critical food assistance.  

BBCE strengthens the efficiency and effectiveness of SNAP by giving states flexibility, leading to administrative savings for states and counties. The administration’s proposal will weaken SNAP’s ability to address hunger by removing this effective tool. 

According to the Colorado Department of Human Services, roughly 48,000 households and 90,000 individuals (annually) would likely lose SNAP assistance in Colorado. 

Visit our Action Center to submit your comment opposing this harmful, proposed rule that will increase hunger and hardship in Colorado and across the country.

Read, What You Need to Know About SNAP and the Recent Federal Proposal to Change Income Limits, to learn more about SNAP and BBCE.

Right now, Congress and the Trump Administration are working to cut food stamps and to impose new barriers to access nutritious food. Most recently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has requested comments from the public that make it appear the Administration wants to impose stricter rules on a key public investment and the largest food assistance program in our country, making it harder for Americans who have lost their jobs to access food stamps, federally known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Not only is the USDA looking at tougher rules for individuals, they are considering the elimination of important flexibilities that counties and states have to ensure federal rules make sense at the local level.  These changes could be costly to local governments while letting Washington call the shots, rather than Colorado.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Tell the Administration that it is unacceptable to cut food assistance for people who have lost their jobs.

Submit your comment online to the USDA; individual comments are most effective, so recruit a friend or neighbor to do the same. A sample comment is provided below, and we encourage you to personalize it. The deadline for submitting comments is 9:59 p.m. MST on Monday, April 9.

Sample copy for comments:
I am writing to oppose stricter time limits to food stamps, federally known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). There are already strict rules for people who don’t have children or dependents (able-bodied adults without dependents – ABAWD) to get food assistance through SNAP. We should not make the existing harsh rules even worse by taking away state flexibility or exposing more people to time-limited benefits. Increasing the ability of USDA to deny state waivers for easing SNAP time limits and imposing these strict rules on more individuals will only increase the number of people facing hunger in Colorado and our country.