Anyone is welcome to join!
As part of our commitment to equity, all Blueprint meetings and activities are hosted in both English and Spanish, and closed captioning is offered. Compensation is also available to anyone who voluntarily participates and is not representing an organization as a paid employee. View the Blueprint’s stipend guide to learn more.
Interested in joining this workgroup and any of its project teams? Please contact Dolores Ramirez of the Blueprint to learn more and get added to the member list for calendar invitations.
Workgroup Overview
Watch the orientation video above or access the presentation slides to learn more about the Blueprint and this workgroup.
Meet the Workgroup Team Leads
Staff Liaison:
Dolores Ramirez, Executive Director of Vision (interim staff liaision)
Co-chairs:
Andrea Loudd of Andrea’s No-cost Food Market
Barbarita San Pedro of SANA
Gretchen Groenke of the Four Corners Food Coalition
Workgroup 2/3 Vision & Goals:
Ensuring Access to Healthy Food in Colorado Communities
Goal #2: Increase the number of Coloradans who can access affordable, nutritious food in their communities
Goal #3: Increase the number of Coloradans who can access food assistance and nutritious food through community-based organizations
Vision (Guiding Star): Work towards a Colorado with an interconnected and coordinated food system that creates a welcoming and safe environment for families and communities to share healthy food together. In this new place, food is healthy and affordable, and food access is equitable and easy.
Metrics:
Healthy food distributed by food banks
Percent of individuals who say it's easy for their household to get healthy food
Workgroup Focus Areas (Project Teams)
Liderazgo Comunitario (Community Leadership):
Goal: Support community leaders and community-led initiatives that are already advancing food access and justice in their communities
Team leads: Ivon Romo of MIEL Language and Barbarita San Pedro of SANA
Meetings: Meets separately; reach out to find out when
Recent action: They’re piloting a monthly workshop series on topics identified by community leaders. The virtual workshops take place on the third Monday of each month from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. Simultaneous interpretation in English is available. Register to attend the next Zoom session.
Microgrants for Grassroots Organizations:
Goal: Develop a micro-funding program to support small, grassroots organizations in expanding local, healthy food access within their communities
Team Lead: Erika Righter of Hope Tank
Meetings: Meets separately; reach out to find out when
Recent action: They 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 small projects that aim to increase the number of Coloradans who can access affordable, nutritious food in their communities. Find out more.
WIC and SNAP Retailers:
Goal: Provide technical assistance to small grocers and retailers seeking certification for SNAP, WIC, and/or Double Up Food Bucks
Team Leads: Maria Judith Alvarez of SANA, Carolina Ramirez of Denver Department of Human Services, and Jennifer Gueddiche
Meetings: Monthly on the fourth Wednesday from 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. (during WG2/3 meeting)
Recent action: 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 and WIC benefits
Healthy Food Incentives:
Goal: Evaluate produce incentive programs (like Double Up Food Bucks) through the lens of participants to gain insights and encourage program improvements
Team lead: Daysi Sweaney of Nourish Colorado
Meetings: Monthly on the fourth Wednesday from 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. (during WG2/3 meeting)
Recent action: They conducted a 14-month evaluation that examined how these Colorado programs affect choice and agency, economic freedom, and well-being of families and individuals who participate; also identified several insights and recommendations from the community participants. Read the executive summary or the full report.
Interested in joining one of these project teams? Contact the team lead above or reach out to Dolores Ramirez from the Blueprint to learn more as well as gain access to meeting agendas, notes, and calendar invitations.
Key Updates
Equity resources: The now-sunsetted equity-focused project team created an Equity Continuum and self-assessment for the Blueprint and others to use. They also launched a yearlong Equity Challenge, which includes bi-monthly peer learning sessions, in the summer of 2023. These resources exist to ensure organizations have a framework and peer support for implementing equity within daily practices, policies, and procedures.
Microgrants: The project team 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 small projects that aim to increase the number of Coloradans who can access affordable, nutritious food in their communities. Find out more.
Monthly community leadership workshops: The Liderazgo Comunitario (Community Leadership) project team supports local leaders and community-led initiatives already advancing food access and justice in their communities. They began piloting a series of workshops, informed by community leaders, this past summer – and now want to open up these opportunities to the Blueprint network! They’re hosting virtual workshops on the third Monday of each month from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m., and simultaneous interpretation in English and Spanish is available. Register to attend the next workshop.
Community voices on produce incentive programs: The Healthy Food Incentives project team conducted a 14-month evaluation that examined how these Colorado programs affect choice and agency, economic freedom, and well-being of families and individuals who participate; also identified several insights and recommendations from the community participants. Read the executive summary or the full report.
Colorado Food Pantry Assistance Grants: The Governor’s Office, Colorado Department of Human Services, and Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger recently announced the distribution of $4.05 million in emergency funding from the State of Colorado to a total of 245 food pantries in 2023. Find out more about the program and its grantees.
Data dashboard: Access the Blueprint’s data dashboard, which hosts publicly available data in one place. This includes local, state, and national data for poverty, food access, food insecurity, SNAP and WIC participation, child nutrition, and public perception of hunger in Colorado.
Past focus areas (sunsetted project teams): Equitable practice in the charitable food system, food sovereignty, transportation