Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a harmful budget bill that would slash funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and other critical public benefit programs. Find out more about the legislation's impacts on SNAP and what they mean for Coloradans—and what actions would be most impactful right now.
At the Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger, we recognize the vital role that our AANHPI neighbors and leaders play in shaping a more just and abundant food system that belongs to everyone—from growing and cooking to owning businesses and advancing local solutions.
Last year was all about transformation for the Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger, both in how we show up in community and how we lead. Dig into our 2024 Impact Report to see what we accomplished together—and where we’re headed next.
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!
May 15, 2024
House Bill 2024-1301, with a focus on time to eat and play in Colorado public schools, did not advance during the 2024 state legislative session. While the Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger and Nourish Colorado are disappointed in the outcome, both organizations will continue to advocate for time-to-eat policies in Colorado. Together, we plan to create our own opportunities to evaluate best practices and policies, which will kick off this summer with ample options for network input.
May 14, 2024
This month, the Blueprint recognizes Asian American, Native Hawai’ian & Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month. It’s a time to reflect upon and celebrate the many contributions of the AANHPI community – consisting of culturally and linguistically diverse people representing many countries and islands of origin – throughout our nation’s history. It’s also a time to recognize the many challenges that these communities have endured and continue to face today in Colorado and beyond, including access to nourishing and culturally relevant food.
May 1, 2024
With equity as a core value, the Blueprint is committed to ongoing learning and self-reflection as an organization that’s regenerative and actively working to reverse historical inequities, particularly as it relates to food justice and sovereignty. Our team is kicking off an assessment to evaluate our internal processes and outcomes through an equity lens. Our first step in this process, identified by our team, prioritized co-crafting a broader equity statement with our land acknowledgment built into it.
April 30, 2024
The Blueprint, with support from the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment and Colorado Department of Education, updated its child nutrition story map this spring. The online resource was initiated by Workgroup #5 and made publicly available to help maximize federal child nutrition programs across the state. It maps out the current state of the Child & Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) in Colorado.
April 29, 2024
The Blueprint and partners thank the Biden-Harris Administration for their recent announcement of 141 new bold commitments as part of the Call to Action for the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. As part of their National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, we hope the Administration will consider the unique needs of rural, frontier, and micro-communities, particularly their challenges to accessing federal funds.
April 18, 2024
The Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger’s Microfunding Project Team is excited to announce that eight individuals and grassroots organizations will receive funding support as part of its microgrant initiative. Each will receive $3,000 to bolster their efforts to increase access to nutritious, affordable food in their local communities.
April 17, 2024
Beginning this year, the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (Summer EBT or S-EBT) program will provide eligible families with $120 per eligible student through a one-time payment, equating to $40 per month of summer break. Benefits will come in the form of pre-loaded cards that families can use to purchase groceries.
April 16, 2024
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced its final rule revising the food package for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). It emphasizes more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, as well as presents a wider choice of foods from different cultures, with implementation happening over the next two years.
April 4, 2024
Denver City Council recently passed an ordinance requiring Denver restaurants to offer water or milk as the default drink options on kids’ menus. the Blueprint’s State Policy Committee was one of the organizations that endorsed the Healthy Drinks in Kids’ Meals strategy, expressing support for the recommendation to ensure the automatic beverage on children’s menus is a healthy one.
April 3, 2024
What’s happening and coming up at the Blueprint? We’ve brought together funders to work towards food justice in Colorado. Plus, we’re hosting a virtual tour of The Hunger Museum, a community workshop on nutrition and self-care awareness, and open office hours for your equity challenges and questions.
April 2, 2024
During the 2024 session, state legislators have introduced more bills recently. The Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger's State Policy Committee is actively involved in and tracking several of them. This includes the Healthy Food Incentives Fund, the Community Food Assistance Provider Grant Program, and legislation to address some of the funding challenges with Healthy School Meals for All.
March 21, 2024
Throughout the week of March 25, we will join community leaders, union members, and many others across Colorado in celebrating César Chávez Day on Sunday, March 31. This commemorative holiday recognizes the legacy of the national labor and civil rights activist on his birthday and promotes community service in honor of the Chicano and Mexican American efforts for labor rights.
March 13, 2024
The Blueprint’s Workgroup #2/3: Healthy Food Access in Communities launched a new microgrant program in 2023, awarding $30,000 to community members and grassroots organizations during its first round of funding. With support from the Colorado Community Health Alliance, they’re now pledging a total of $24,000 to support more small projects that aim to increase access to nutritious, affordable food in local communities. The application opens on Friday, March 15.
March 12, 2023
Last Friday, Congress passed a 2024 federal budget bill with full funding for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). This means eligible families won’t have to worry about waitlists or being turned away.
While a crisis was averted this year, it’s concerning that a historically bipartisan success was even up for debate. That’s why we must turn our attention to the future – and how policymakers can ensure WIC continues to create bright futures for infants, young children, and new and expecting parents.
March 7, 2024
During National Nutrition Month®, the Blueprint team restates our commitment to becoming a regenerative organization, reversing historical inequities in our food systems. In this blog post, our policy director (who’s also a registered dietitian) reflects on instances where our food justice work meets nutrition and the importance of balancing food access against diet quality and food choice.
February 26, 2024
The Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger envisions a Colorado where everyone who lives here can access the food they choose, where they want it, and when they need it. Healthy School Meals For All and its associated grant programs take our state closer to that vision.
The successful program has exceeded expectations in student participation – so much so that there’s a significant funding shortfall to cover all associated costs. We’re working towards sustainable funding that Colorado families, schools, and producers can rely upon every school year.
February 22, 2024
The Colorado Health Insitute recently released its 2023 Colorado Health Access Survey. With input from nearly 10,000 Colorado households, the data reveals substantial changes in health, health access, and social stressors stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic and the government’s response to it. This includes food insecurity, along with disparities by race, ethnicity, gender, and more.
