Hunger Free Colorado

Standing Strong for Healthy Food Access, Justice, and Dignity As we reflect on a challenging week, Hunger Free Colorado reaffirms our unwavering commitment to stand alongside our most impacted community members and continue the fight for a just food system—one where all Coloradans can access nutritious, culturally relevant foods with autonomy and dignity. We believe that food is a basic right, and that food security is not just a matter of access, but of justice. A movement to transform food systems must be interconnected to movements for racial justice, gender equality, LGBTQIA+ rights, and all efforts that champion the inherent value of every human being – centering the voices and leadership of those most harmed by oppressive systems. The rhetoric and policy proposals we’ve seen nationally in recent months stand in stark contrast to these values. Ongoing targeting of immigrant communities, misogynistic attacks on bodily autonomy, and harmful narratives disparaging LGBTQIA+ individuals only deepen existing divides and directly harm the communities we serve. Combined with threats to vital federal nutrition programs such as SNAP, WIC, and school meals, these proposed actions jeopardize not just food access, but the well-being of entire communities. Yet, in this challenging moment, our resolve is stronger than ever. We are not just fighting for access to food, we are fighting for a future where every individual has the ability to thrive. In the months and years ahead, we will continue doing what we do best: building community power to fight for just food systems, standing in solidarity with BIPOC and other communities on the frontlines, and advocating for healthy food access for all Coloradans. Through policy advocacy and community organizing, we will fight to protect federal nutrition programs like SNAP and WIC, ensuring that they remain strong, accessible, and effective. We will oppose any policies that restrict eligibility, reduce benefits, or undermine the integrity of these vital programs. Through our statewide hotline, SNAP Outreach team and broad partner network, we will continue to connect people to vital food resources. In addition, we will continue to work side by side with community leaders to champion Healthy School Meals for All, advocating for a future where no child in our state goes hungry, healthy school meals are sourced from our local farmers and ranchers, and front-line school nutrition professionals are paid a living wage. While much may change in the political landscape, we are steadfast in our commitment to building community power to transform food systems to be more equitable and just. And we will not rest until every Coloradan has access to the nutritious, culturally relevant food they need to thrive. Together, we will rise above the challenges of today and continue to push for a better, more just future. Thank you for standing with us. Website version: https://lnkd.in/g6MxMbKC

A great discussion around the importance of changing the system around school meals. We're proud to be working with schoools, community members and legislators to strengthen our school food system through investments in quality local food, support for from-scratch and culturally relevant meals and higher wages for school nutrition staff.

Come and celebrate Hunger Free Colorado's 15th anniversary with me on October 18th! There will be a variety of delicious cuisines, a live art project, energizing music, and we will hear from various inspiring speakers who will highlight the transformational work we’ve done over the past 15 years. It’s going to be a memorable and fun-filled evening, and I would love to see you there. You can purchase tickets at bit.ly/HFC15EVENT

For nearly 15 years, Hunger Free Colorado has been a leader in the fight against hunger and a champion for the long-term work of building just and equitable food systems. In celebration, we are kicking off a campaign to highlight the past and point to the future, engage folks new and old to build the movement and raise funds to sustain our work going forward. We are excited to share inspiring stories and updates about our impact and accomplishments in the upcoming months leading up to a celebratory event in October that will commemorate a decade and a half of our organization's journey. We invite you to learn more about how Hunger Free Colorado's programs have evolved; how our impact has grown and the ways you can help us build the community power needed to create transformational change in our local food systems and federal nutrition programs. Visit our 15th anniversary page to learn about our journey and how you can help us celebrate! https://lnkd.in/gZWU6iDa

Colorado advocates share their priorities for a #FarmBill, healthy #schoolmeals4all the #childtaxcredit, and more at the #hungerpc24 Lobby Day!

The Hike to End Hunger month-long challenge just started! Happy hiking! The cumulative, 15-mile statewide hiking challenge can be completed anywhere in Colorado throughout May. You can register as an individual or as a team and then start fundraising to support all Coloradans' access to nutritious food. Learn more or register today by going to HiketoEndHunger.org

Congress is nearing a potential deal to fully fund WIC in upcoming appropriations. Unfortunately, the deal could involve the adoption of a “SNAP-choice” pilot program, whereby participating states would restrict SNAP purchases to only “nutrient dense” foods. The “SNAP-choice” pilot program ignores the fact that many households make the food “choices” they do as a result of the many constraints on their ability to purchase healthy food, such as significant time constraints (poverty is a full-time job), the high cost of fresh and nutrient dense foods (paired with low benefit levels), and limited access to nutrient dense foods in many communities such as those characterized by food deserts.?A “SNAP-choice” pilot program will not nudge SNAP participants to make ‘better’ choices. It will just be another barrier on top of the many barriers that low-income households already face in accessing food.

Today is Colorado Gives Day, the single largest day of individual giving in our state! We invite you to join the thousands of Coloradans making a difference for the nonprofit organizations they care about. Your support fuels our work to end hunger. Donate now at bit.ly/ColoradoGivesHFC

Governor Jared Polis signed the Summer EBT bill yesterday, a new federal program that will serve as an additional support for low-income households. Families with children eligible for national free or reduced-price school meals will be eligible to receive $40/month per eligible child in Summer 2024. We want to give a huge thank you to Governor Polis and the bill's sponsors: Sen. Jeff Bridges, Sen. Rachel Zenzinger, Rep. Shannon Bird, and Rep. Lorena Garcia. Also, a big round of applause to all the dedicated advocates who fought to make this important program a reality. Because of all your help and support, this bill will make a positive difference in the lives of over 300,000 Colorado children this coming summer!

We're so excited the Summer EBT bill was officially signed today by Governor Jared Polis! This will help more than 300,000 Colorado kids get the food they need when school isn't in session. Thank you to bill sponsors and our partners at Hunger Free Colorado for their leadership on this effort.