Congress must provide long-term solutions for food relief
DENVER (Sept. 27, 2020) – According to a recent survey by Hunger Free Colorado, more than 29 percent of Coloradans are food insecure, meaning they lack reliable access to nutritious food, a rate that has tripled since the start of COVID-19. Parents, people of color and those with disabilities face even higher rates of food insecurity. The survey found that 38 percent of non-white and Latinx individuals are currently struggling to put food on the table, compared to 25 percent of white Coloradans. Additionally, almost half of those living with a disability are facing hunger, with many reporting that they struggle to access food due to the high cost of healthy items and a lack of transportation.
The poll, repeated quarterly, surveyed 550 Coloradans across the state to find out how the pandemic has impacted their access to food and economic security. Hunger remains a top concern for almost 1 in 5 Colorado households. Compared to the July poll, general rates of hunger have remained steady, but there have been some improvements around child hunger.
Currently, forty five percent of households with children are food insecure and nearly half of parents reported that they were okay prior to COVID-19 but now worry about covering expenses in the next few weeks or months. Despite these startling statistics, fewer parents had to skip or cut back on their children’s meals, in addition to their own, to make ends meet, dropping from 23 percent from July to 13 percent in September. This could be due to concerted outreach to Colorado families about resources to get nutritious food during the economic crisis caused by COVID-19, including vital programs such as universal school meals and Pandemic EBT.
“We’re glad that Congress has continued school meals program flexibilities to make it easier for families to provide meals for their children, but pandemic-related school closures are still creating barriers to access for many students. The extension of Pandemic EBT through the school year can play a critical role in filling the gap,” said Marc Jacobson, CEO of Hunger Free Colorado, a leading nonprofit anti-hunger organization. “The next step for Congress is to invest in strengthening SNAP, as well as other nutrition and economic supports, to ensure those impacted by COVID-19 have the help they need until our economy recovers.”
SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, is a proven and effective tool to assist low-income households and provide counter-cyclical help in recessions. SNAP provides recipients with funds to purchase food at local grocery stores, helping families get needed nutrition and providing an economic boost for our state.
Based on these findings, Hunger Free Colorado is calling on Congress to prioritize food assistance in the current relief package. Thousands of Coloradans have joined Hunger Free Colorado in this call to action through mail, phone calls and emails. Hunger Free Colorado has the following key recommendations:
Key Recommendations:
- Increase SNAP benefits by 15 percent for long term economic needs of Coloradans and continue emergency allotments through the economic recession caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This will help families afford the food they need to make it through the coming months.
- Continue and improve funding for emergency food systems through the economic crisis caused by COVID-19.
- Continued outreach to Coloradans about food assistance programs as some experience food insecurity for the first time due to the economic and health impacts of the pandemic.
“We need to strengthen vital programs that can provide Coloradans with access to nutritious food to weather this pandemic,” stated Jacobson. “Congress should include these recommendations in the current relief bill as an investment in our families and in our communities.”
View the poll findings from September or July and learn about the issue of hunger in Colorado online at HungerFreeColorado.org.
Media Contact: Ellie Agar, Director of Communications, (720) 464-3620