PAST PROJECTS

Here’s an overview of some projects that have wrapped up in 2024 and 2025 (in alphabetical order):

Goal: Building a diverse, cross-sector coalition, alongside partners and advocates across the state, to organize around policy and implementation opportunities that link food access to health outcomes in Colorado

Outcomes:
- Monitoring rollout of Accountable Care Collaborative Phase III
- Building connections between Medicaid members, their Regional Accountable Entities, and the services provided.
- Providing education, updates, and advocacy opportunities around Colorado’s 1115 Waiver Amendment for Health-related Social Needs

Goal: Convene a coalition driven by local female farmers and farmers of color to help create a legislative strategy for the creation of a Farm Equity Office in Colorado.
Outcomes:
- Supported the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) in a state budget request for additional positions in their workforce development unit to focus on farm equity.
- Worked with CDA for their new roles involving farm equity; provided technical assistance to interested applicants who represent farmers from historically under-resourced communities.

Goal: Research and elevate ways that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) can be more accessible for those in Colorado who are older adults, unhoused, transitioning into housing, or facing instability in their housing.
Outcomes:
- Advocating for implementation of the USDA’s Restaurant Meals Program (RMP) in Colorado through 2025 state legislation
- Led Restaurants in Community Pilot to creatively help those who would eventually qualify for a state-implemented RMP to access and enjoy fully-prepared meals; demonstrated the impacts these partnerships can have on community members and restaurant owners, gathering important qualitative and quantitative data to support Colorado’s future implementation of the USDA program.

Goal: Launch a statewide marketing and outreach campaign to support the successful implementation of Healthy School Meals for All in Colorado public schools, including a microgrant initiative for community-based organizations to lead local marketing and outreach efforts.
Outcomes:
- The statewide marketing and outreach campaign publicly launched in January 2024.
- As part of the campaign efforts, 40 community-based organizations received microgrants.

Goal: Support community leaders and community-led initiatives that are already advancing food access and justice within their towns, counties, and/or neighborhoods
Outcomes:
- Hosted a monthly workshop series on topics identified by community leaders during 2024
- Planned and hosted BIPOC-led webinars as part of the Colorado Food Summit’s regional convenings in 2025

Goal: Develop and implement a microgrants initiative to support small, grassroots organizations in expanding local, healthy food access within their communities
Outcomes:
- Launched a new microgrant initiative in 2023, awarding $30,000 to community members and grassroots organizations during its first round of funding
- Pledged a total of $24,000 for the second round of funding in 2024, with support from the Colorado Community Health Alliance — eight grassroots projects received $3,000 microgrants each.

Goals: Support state advocacy to improve access to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC); identify and share promising practices; and publish resources on these approaches
Updates:
- Colorado was one of six states launching Project UP, with the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities; view our informational flier.

Goal: Provide technical assistance to small grocers and retailers seeking certification for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Special Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for Women, Infants & Children (WIC), and/or Double Up Food Bucks
Outcomes:
- Piloted four strategies to support small grocers and retailers in their efforts to expand healthy food offerings, including technical assistance to support those seeking to become certified in accepting SNAP benefits
- Created and released the SNAP Certification for Retailers Toolkit, aiming to bolster the number of small grocery stores and corner stores that accept SNAP benefits while also increasing the affordability and availability of healthy and culturally preferable food offered by small businesses in Colorado.
- Hosted SNAP-focused webinars in March and April 2025 with more 70+ registrants for each — one for community members to learn how to sign up for benefits in a safe and welcoming environment and another to support retailers in accepting SNAP benefits and other produce-incentive programs to boost sales and fresh food access in their communities

Goal: Connecting community and creating welcoming and inclusive spaces focused on increasing food access and advancing food justice in communities across Colorado
Outcomes:
- Previously planned to co-host an in-person, invitation-only event with the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and Western Slope Native American Resource Center in late October 2024; canceled due to winter weather and travel safety concerns
- Transitioned to financially supporting already planned, community-led events in Montezuma County