From our makeshift home offices, Hunger Free Colorado’s dedicated staff stepped up to respond to the rapidly rising rates of hunger across our country and in the state of Colorado. Here’s how Hunger Free Colorado’s COVID-19 response is making a difference and how you can help fight
for a better Colorado.
COMMUNITY
Through our COVID-19 virtual town hall, live webinars and numerous Q&A sessions, (offered in English and Spanish) we answered critical questions from community members and provided guidance in navigating benefit programs in a COVID-19 world.
In March, we launched the COVID-19 Food Resource Page to provide Coloradans with information on programs and community resources they can utilize during the crisis. This free resource site gives Coloradans expedited access to information, services and programs all over the state. And we hired three additional staff members in response to the growing number of calls to the Food Resource Hotline (which reached a peak of three times our average call volume).
In April, we launched our #MyFoodStory campaign to help inform and drive our hunger-solving work forward. This campaign encourages community members to share how COVID-19 has impacted their access to food. By sharing stories, we can raise awareness about hunger in our state and shed light on the real people and families that are affected by food insecurity every day.
POLICY
Hunger Free Colorado worked closely with community members, nonprofit organizations and state agencies to pass common-sense policy and adapt essential food programs to assist our most underserved and vulnerable populations.
Important policy wins:
- Online ordering and delivery for SNAP recipients, giving them the ability to access food from the safety of their homes
- Additional pick up locations for summer meals
- Eliminating the need for young children to go out during the crisis by allowing parents to pick up their kids’ meals
- Expanding WIC program flexibility that allowed participants to purchase additional types of bread, milk and cheese
- The Colorado Food Pantry Assistance Grant Program
We are so grateful to our food pantry, food bank and Colorado producer partners that made the passage of the Colorado Food Pantry Assistance Grant Program possible! This grant program allocates federal CARES Act dollars to food pantries and food banks so they can purchase fresh, local food and support Colorado’s producers.
GOING FORWARD
To many, the pandemic has revealed a broken system, one where our neighbors are left to struggle in poverty with dwindling opportunities for assistance. We can change this but we need to make big changes to our current system. SNAP, our nation’s largest anti-hunger program is being benched during a global pandemic. We must work as a community to remove barriers to food access so our fellow Coloradans can afford to feed their families without sacrificing other necessities like paying utility bills or rent. To learn more and help, visit our action center and join our action network through email or on Facebook.
No matter what comes our way, Hunger Free Colorado is here to support all Coloradans who struggle with hunger.