Colorado is making major progress in adjusting nutrition programs to meet the rapidly changing needs of Coloradans during the COVID-19 outbreak. Let’s take a moment to celebrate these wins!
Colorado state agencies are working hard with school districts, community partners and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to request, and implement, waivers that give our nutrition programs the flexibility they need to serve an increasing number of Coloradans while maintaining social distance. Here’s a summary of program changes that will help increasing numbers of Coloradans access nutrition support during this crisis:
Child Nutrition Programs and Meal Sites
Seamless Summer Option (SSO), Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and the Child and Adult Care Feeding Program (CACFP) are active during this time and are approved for waivers that give school districts and sponsors additional options for how they can distribute meals. You can text FOOD or COMIDA to 877-877 to receive food distribution locations for kids 18 and under.
- Non-Congregate Feeding Options – Schools and meal sites can offer grab and go take-home meals or delivered meals instead of on-site meal service.
- Meal Flexibility – Sponsors can distribute more than one meal at a time and adjust the food items provided based on availability when food supplies are disrupted.
- More Sites – Sites that do not typically meet area eligibility requirements for these programs can now help to distribute meals. Schools or organizations interested in becoming a meal site can contact emergencyfeeding@cde.state.co.us or visit the CDE website to apply.
- Parent Pickup (coming soon!) Parents will soon have the opportunity to pick up meals for their children without the child being present.
SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)
SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, is administered by a county’s department of human services, most of which are operating remotely during the public health crisis. You can apply for SNAP online, through the MyCOBenefits app, or over phone with the Food Resource Hotline
at 855-855-4626, Monday – Friday (8 am – 4:30 pm).
- Streamlined Applications – During the emergency, SNAP applications will not require an interview to expedite the delivery of benefits.
- Emergency Allotments – For March and April, households enrolled in SNAP will soon receive emergency allotments that will temporarily bring their benefit level up to the maximum (that’s $646 monthly for a household of four).
- Certification Period Extensions – SNAP households with recertifications or periodic reports due in March, April or May, do NOT need to submit this paperwork, as their certification periods have been extended by six months.
WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children)
WIC is still serving clients. Due to COVID-19, many WIC clinics are providing services by phone because clinics are temporarily closed to the public to protect the health of WIC clients and staff.
- Remote Enrollment, Appointments and Nutrition Education – Enrollment and nutrition education is being completed remotely (by phone) while clinics are closed to the public.
Call your local clinic for more information. To request an appointment, complete this form. - More Food Options – In response to food availability issues, WIC clients can now purchase
2 percent milk if lowfat/nonfat milk (1 percent or skim) is unavailable and larger sized packages of 100 percent whole wheat bread or corn tortillas. Learn more here.
These new changes will absolutely help Coloradans access food, but we know more needs to be done. We are working to make sure that helpful and long-term changes are made in the coming days and weeks to ensure federal nutrition programs can meet the evolving needs of ALL Coloradans during this public health crisis.
We are urging our members of Congress to include measures that strengthen and increase SNAP benefits and open options for online purchasing and delivery for more programs and people in the next stimulus package. You can help us by signing this petition for our Congressional delegation to fight for these changes. And if your organization would like to sign on to an advocacy letter championing these priorities, please fill out this form by Wednesday, April 8 at 5 pm.
For up-to-date food resources and more information on nutrition programs,
visit our COVID-19 resource page.