We’re introducing two new toolkits to help nonprofits navigate funding and policy changes with clarity and confidence. Join us for a virtual walkthrough on Friday, May 9, and gain early access to the toolkits.
The Blueprint and other anti-hunger advocates across the state are urging Governor Jared Polis to reject harmful proposals that would limit what Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants can buy. Join us in saying no to SNAP restrictions!
In early May, staff from the Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger and Hunger Free Colorado are heading to Washington D.C. to meet with members of Colorado’s Congressional delegation—and we want to bring your voice with us!
Are you interested in community organizing and building community power but new to policy and advocacy? Apply to join the Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger’s next Advocacy Leadership Academy by Monday, April 21!
A bipartisan state bill would make it easier for all Coloradans to get nutrition support from qualified professionals, regardless of their income, insurance, or location. Our Policy Director, Greta Allen (who’s also a registered dietitian), shares why this is a key step toward a more just and inclusive healthcare system.
October 4, 2023
While Congress avoided a government shutdown for at least 45 days, the full federal budget for 2024 remains up for debate and includes annual funding for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Last week, U.S. Representative Brittany Pettersen led Colorado’s Democratic delegation in urging Congressional leadership to fully fund WIC.
September 21, 2023
By supporting the Healthy School Meals for All program with a statewide marketing and outreach campaign, we're on a mission to transform the lives of Colorado public students and their families – one nourishing school meal at a time. To ensure every child has the right to access nutritious and delicious meals, we formed a steering committee of diverse community members and pledged $370,000 for community-based organizations to support and actively promote the new program locally.
September 21, 2023
The U.S. House of Representatives and Senate are back in session, and the White House has called on Congress to pass a short-term spending bill, known as a continuing resolution. Its passage would avoid a federal government shutdown on Sunday, October 1, and ensure critical federal programs remain funded through the end of 2023.
As part of their budgetary ask, the Biden Administration seeks a boost in funding for WIC and requested an additional $1.4 billion due to higher food costs and participation. If WIC does not receive full funding for 2024, new parents and young children could be waitlisted, while others could see their benefits cut.
September 20, 2023
We would like to introduce our new co-chairs for the Blueprint’s Governing Council, LaQuetta Walker and Mark Kling. They will be instrumental in leading and guiding the Blueprint through its transformation journey.
Our team also would like to thank our outgoing co-chairs, Meighen Lovelace and Stephanie Salazar-Rodriguez, for their service.
September 8, 2023
National Hispanic Heritage Month is happening from September 15 - October 15! It’s a time to celebrate those who trace their roots to Central America, Mexico, South America, Spain, and the Spanish-speaking nations of the Caribbean.
At the Blueprint, we applaud the many rich contributions of our Hispanic and Latino communities to our shared history, culture, and efforts to end hunger. But we also recognize that poverty and hunger disproportionately impact families and individuals in these communities – the result of a long history of policies that have created and maintained barriers to opportunity for people of color.
September 6, 2023
As the Blueprint continues its journey of becoming more community-centered and evolving as a connector, convener, and facilitator, we want to ensure there’s space for community voice and participation.
Now in the second phase of our yearlong strategic planning journey, we’re seeking your input on our biggest questions around transformation. Your insights and perspectives can help shape the Blueprint’s future, so we hope you’ll participate.
Find out a little more about how we got here and where we hope to go — and how you can help inform the Blueprint’s transformation.
August 24, 2023
The new voter-created Healthy School Meals for All program kicks off this school year in most public schools across Colorado, and it’s still important for families to complete their school’s benefits form or application. It impacts students and their families, school funding, and local communities.
Whether it’s called school, meal, community, or educational benefits, the single-page form asks families to share household income, along with race and ethnicity data. Collecting this information allows your local school to maximize state and federal funding. It also helps students qualify for school-related fee waivers like SAT/ACT testing, athletics, band, field trips, and other activities.
August 24, 2023
The Blueprint’s Federal Policy Committee recently voted to focus on finding champions in Congress to support and advocate for sufficient funding of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) in the U.S. federal budget. This includes partnering with the National WIC Association, Hunger Free Colorado, and others to connect with Colorado’s Members of Congress.
New data show that WIC needs a significant increase in funding – at least $7.2 billion in total this coming fiscal year – to support increased participation and provide full benefits to those enrolled across the nation.
August 24, 2023
With partners and advocates across the state, we’re building a diverse, cross-sector coalition to organize around “food and nutrition in healthcare” policy and program implementation opportunities in Colorado. This work will prioritize food and diet in an individual’s health plan, with the goal of preventing or treating costly chronic health conditions. Such nutrition interventions also can improve household food security and address health disparities.
August 24, 2023
The new Colorado voter-approved program, Healthy School Meals for All, kicks off in most public schools this school year! Members of the Blueprint’s Workgroup 5: Maximizing Child Nutrition Programs have come together to ensure a strong launch with a statewide marketing and outreach campaign this fall.
In support of this collaborative effort, the Colorado Access Foundation and The Colorado Health Foundation have committed a combined total of $1.5 million to promote program benefits, encourage student participation and family completion of school benefit forms, and help fill position vacancies in school dining rooms.
August 10, 2023
Plenty of data shows that produce incentive programs increase fruit and vegetable consumption, but do they create economic mobility and liberation for program participants? Join us for a virtual presentation on Tuesday, August 22 from 2 - 3:30 p.m. to learn more about recent research that centers community voices in evaluating such programs across Colorado. The 14-month evaluation examined how these Colorado programs affect choice and agency, economic freedom, and well-being of families and individuals who participate – and identified several insights and recommendations from the community participants.
August 10, 2023
Kroger and Albertsons announced a potential $24.6 billion supermarket merger last fall, which would affect consumers, workers, farmers, and suppliers across the nation and in Colorado. Combined, they operate more than 250 King Soopers, City Market, Safeway, and Albertsons grocery stores across the state. They hope to finalize the merger in early 2024 if approved by state and federal regulators.
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser and the Colorado Department of Law are currently seeking public comment and consumer opinion on the merger. The Blueprint’s Federal Policy Committee is also taking action.
July 27, 2023
U.S. Senator Michael Bennet recently introduced the Hot Foods Act, which would lift the existing ban on hot foods in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Hunger Free Colorado and Nourish Colorado have led efforts in the state to advocate for greater access for families and individuals to purchase cold-prepared foods, heated foods, and hot meals using SNAP benefits.
July 27, 2023
Check out our new calendar of events! View all upcoming meetings and activities hosted by the Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger beginning in August – and easily add a reminder to your own calendar. This includes recurring meetings for workgroups, committees, and the Governing Council, as well as other opportunities like virtual workshops and any planned in-person gatherings.
July 27, 2023
The Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger’s Governing Council visited Fort Morgan and the local youth-powered nonprofit, Kids at Their Best, for their annual retreat on Friday, July 21.
The day started with a tour of their facility and learning more about the organization’s efforts to alleviate hunger across the community. After that, Blueprint staff and Governing Council members visited a few summer meal and enrichment sites – a chance to see the youth-led work of Kids at Their Best in action while interacting with some of the staff and participants of their Summer Blast program.
Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger hires public health expert to shepherd effort
(Denver, April 16, 2019) – The Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger, the work of a coalition of groups and individuals statewide focused on eliminating hunger for all Coloradans, hired its first implementation director and will ultimately launch multiple initiatives aimed at achieving the goals set out by the Blueprint.
Erin Ulric, currently the interim director for Prevention Services at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, will serve as the initiative’s first director. The veteran public health official, with statewide experience in key areas like nutrition services, will begin in May.
By Deb Stanley, ABC Denver 7
A change in income eligibility requirements in Colorado means thousands of families may now qualify for food assistance.
The Colorado Department of Human Services is increasing the income cut off to 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level in place of the previous 130 percent cut off, according to Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger.
"If you think about a family of three, a mom and two kids, mom had to make less than $35,000 for us to examine whether the family was eligible for food assistance. But now mom can make up to $40,00 for us to examine if she's eligible," explained Ki'i Powell, the Director of Colorado's Office of Economic Security.
New income eligibility in food assistance for working families will fight poverty in Colorado allowing a small increase in income expected to help thousands
(Denver, July 30, 2018) – Changes to eligibility income levels for thousands of working families began recently in food assistance and are expected to provide an effective boost to Coloradans working their way out of poverty. The Colorado Department of Human Services is increasing the income cut off to 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level in place of the previous 130 percent cut off. With the change, a family of two making just $33,000 a year will be eligible.
“We are thrilled to see this change because we believe that this small change will contribute greatly to ending hunger in our state,” said Jennifer Banyan, spokesperson for the Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger, a statewide effort to leverage and connect resources to ensure that no Coloradan is hungry.
The Daily Sentinel, SENTINEL STAFF
The Western Colorado Community Foundation is offering a new grant that will fund nonprofit agencies working to end hunger, part of their efforts to support the Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger locally.
The foundation expects to use funds from its community grants endowment and donations from community partners to distribute $100,000 to local projects that increase access to healthy, local foods and improve food security for vulnerable populations. Preference will be given to projects that involve collaboration among multiple community groups. The deadline to apply is July 15.
"We hope that innovative projects in the seven counties we serve will be able to use these funds to make tangible, positive impacts in their communities," foundation spokesman Tedi Gillespie said. "We're excited to see what they do to combat what we know is a widespread problem."
The foundation manages more than 265 charitable funds totaling nearly $75 million in assets and awards more than $3.4 million in grants and scholarships annually. For information and to apply, visit wc-cf.org/nonprofits/grantmaking.
By Wyatt Hurt, Grand Junction Sentinel
Wyatt.Hurt@gjsentinel.com
Mount Garfield Middle School teacher Rachel Smith is no stranger to Mesa County’s widespread hunger problem; she sees it firsthand every day.
Twice a month, she spends hundreds of dollars at Sam’s Club, stocking a pantry in her classroom. Called “Gator-aid,” the pantry feeds a full spectrum of students, ranging from “hungry teenage boys” who want a snack to those who rely on the food to get them through the day.
“I think there are teachers feeding kids at every school. I’d be willing to bet that every teacher has given away their lunch at least twice,” Smith said.
She was one of the 70 attendees at Friday’s Mesa County Leadership Forum on Hunger, which brought together community leaders to brainstorm innovative solutions to end local hunger. Co-sponsored by the Colorado Health Foundation, the event was a first step in what the organizations hope will be a permanent solution to the problem.
