Media | Hunger Free Colorado

Hunger Free Colorado’s Statement in Support of the Hot Foods Act

Sarah — Wed, 12 Jul 2023 20:37:57 +0000

As a statewide anti-hunger nonprofit that works directly with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants, Hunger Free Colorado expresses strong support for Colorado Senator Michael Bennet’s proposed bill to lift the existing ban on hot foods in SNAP. Current federal SNAP rules, which prohibit SNAP households from purchasing hot prepared foods, limit household choice and reduce access to nutritious foods. Our community members have shared with us the positive impact that access to hot foods would have on their lives, with working parents stating that the ability to purchase a hot meal would free up time and allow them to spend more quality time with their children. Caregivers have shared that access to hot foods is important to ensuring that older adults and persons with disabilities can still access a balanced meal without needing caregiving assistance, and individuals experiencing homelessness have expressed how nourishing a warm meal would be before a cold night. Lifting the existing ban on hot foods is a commonsense measure that would expand our communities’ access to nutritious foods by allowing households to exercise greater choice over the food they and their families consume. We are grateful to Senator Bennet for championing this effort in the Senate. We look forward to continuing to work together to end hunger one step at a time.

Read the official press release.

Silverii: The pandemic crushed the poor. Can Colorado make it right?

admin — Wed, 17 Mar 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Since the pandemic began, only 55% of Coloradans report that they have enough money to pay for basic expenses, according to a December 2020 survey by Hunger Free Colorado.

The Pandemic Has Exacerbated Food Insecurity Across Colorado

admin — Tue, 16 Mar 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Pallets holding oversized boxes of food are lined up in the parking lot at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Lakewood on a 26-degree February morning. Nearly a dozen cars wait in parking spots. More drive in every couple of minutes.

Colorado pushes colleges to better support food-insecure students, improve mental health resources

admin — Wed, 24 Feb 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Colorado’s higher education department is pushing the state’s colleges and universities to prioritize better supporting students who are experiencing hunger and in need of mental health care.

CO Food Pantries Must Apply for Special Grants by Sunday

admin — Wed, 16 Dec 2020 00:00:00 +0000

The Colorado Legislature has allocated an additional $5 million to help address an unprecedented rise in hunger across the state as part of the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.

Here are the 10 COVID-19 relief bills Colorado lawmakers just passed

admin — Wed, 02 Dec 2020 00:00:00 +0000

The state will expand its grant program for food bank and pantry assistance to allow food delivery and extend the timeline, giving the Department of Human Services $5 million for the program.

Food insecurity on the rise as COVID-19 cases surge and economy sputters

admin — Wed, 11 Nov 2020 00:00:00 +0000

The number of people being served by food banks and food pantries in Colorado swelled as the COVID-19 pandemic spiked heading into the holiday season.

On Philanthropy: Erasing hunger in America requires more than charity

admin — Sun, 08 Nov 2020 00:00:00 +0000

The holidays are around the corner and, for tens of millions of our neighbors across the U.S., this will be a time of scarcity, insecurity, worry and, in the richest nation on Earth, hunger.

CO Food-Insecurity Rate Triples During Pandemic

admin — Fri, 30 Oct 2020 00:00:00 +0000

About 30% of Coloradans in a new poll say they can't afford regular meals, a rate that's tripled since the start of COVID-19. And hunger-fighting advocates are urging lawmakers to increase food assistance programs to help.

Coloradans ‘Grow And Give’ Produce, Help Neighbors Facing Hunger During COVID-19

admin — Wed, 30 Sep 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Jesse Noller lives in Lafayette in a split-level house with a big backyard. “I've just got tons and tons of tomatoes here. I've got eggplants down here, I've got chard right there,” he said.