Hunger Free Colorado

Programs: Nearly 1 in 8 coloradans struggle with hunger, facing times when there is not enough money to buy food. Hunder or food insecurity impacts a person's physical, mental and emotional health. It can be the culprit of obesity, behavior or mental health issues, acute and chronic illness, and other preventable medical concerns. To alleviate food insecurity in colorado, hunger free colorado operates a statewide, bilingual food resource hotline. The hotline provides comprehensive screening and referrals to federal, state and local resources. In addition, hunger free colorado was granted the unique authority to conduct phone applications to the supplemental nuturition assistance program (snap). Hunger free colorado recently expanded its medical referral program with an aim to improve health outcomes by eliminating food insecurity. More than 28 hospitals, clinics and major medical providers refer patients to the hotline. This year, more than 9,000 callers utilized the hotline and 3,000 snap applications were submitted. The medical referral program has been examined for nation-wide replication. We also have staff dedicated to outreach in the community with your neighborhood food connection van.

hunger free colorado is actively engaged in shifting policy at the state and federal level. Hunger free colorado was integral in urging he state to develop a food assistance checkbox in colorado peak that seamlessly generates a food assistance application from existing medical assistance data. The checkbox has enrolled an additional 1,200 individuals in food assistance at 500,000 in monthly benefits as a national example of simplified, cross-programmatic enrollment. Hunger free colorado continues to oversee the implementation of senate bill 16-190 that evaluated and improved administration of programs like food stamps. Hunger free colorado was the key advocacy organization engaged in a recent state human services board rule change package entitled "employment first modernization", that created additional exemptions for the employment first program for those experiencing homeless and/or are medically unfit, and also gave counties the opportunity to operate a voluntary employment first program in order to reduce county expenditures and to improve the integrity of the program by focusing services on the most enthusiastic and work ready participants. Hunger free colorado is also extremely active in federal policy, and has strong connections with our federal delegations and helps craft and amend federal policy. Hunger free colorado is also part of a statewide workgroup that focuses on creating constructive dialogues alongside other state anti-poverty partners to bolster efforts to oppose harmful federal legislation.

the colorado food pantry network provides training, resources and networking opportunities to 68 food pantries members to imporve operations and to facilitate collective action to fuel change. A focus of the year was increased use of the client input survey to understand client preferences, which yielded 923 new survey responses. Prompted by survey results, three food pantries collaborated to increase fresh produce distribution. One food pantry provided a truck, one provided the driver, and the last food pantry provided refrigeration and storage. The network also released a first-ever food pantry best practices guide. The best practices guide is a valuable tool for food pantries of all sizes and geographic locations. Member pantries have begun to use the guide for strategic short- and long-term planning and better utilization of resources.