SEPTEMBER 2013 


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DID YOU KNOW...?

Breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day, particularly for children. Now is the time for families to enroll or re-enroll their children for free or reduced-price meals at school. Encourage families to complete the process and find out if they qualify.     

 

   

BE A PART OF THE SOLUTION  
September is Hunger Action Month! Join the Hunger P.O.D. Squad to get involved and take action in eradicating hunger in Colorado.
 
  
OTHER NEWS & EVENTS 

 

New Reports Show Hunger in Our Communities

Several new reports relating hunger and poverty were recently released and serve as a reminder that, while progress has been made, more work still needs to be done in Colorado.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) lifted 4 million people above the official poverty line in 2012 and reduced hardship for millions more, according to new Census Bureau data released yesterday and analysis from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
 
New data from the USDA shows that one in six Americans struggle with hunger, including 16 million children. Read the new report, Household Food Security in the United States in 2012.

 

Three out of four teachers and principals observe hungry children during the school day, according to Share Our Strength's report, Hunger in Our Schools: Teachers Report 2013.  


Fresh Food Financing Fund Working to Alleviate Food Deserts 
 
Food deserts are areas in which residents have little or no access to nutritious, healthy foods, and a new public-private fund will tackle this issue to help those impacted and spark economic development across the state.
 
The Colorado Fresh Food Financing Fund (CO4F) launched last month with a $7.1 million seed investment from The Colorado Health Foundation. It aims to remove financial barriers and enable food retailers to provide fresh, healthy food in underserved Colorado communities.   

 

 

In the News

 

Nine women, the first group of participants for Hunger Through My Lens, share their photos and stories of everyday life with hunger, as featured on 9NEWS.com.  

 

Our executive director, Kathy Underhill, busted myths about SNAP on CPR's "Colorado Matters" and discussed the impact of SNAP cuts on families and the state economy as part of "Colorado State of Mind," which airs on RMPBS.

 

The new partnership between the

 







Our multilingual, statewide hotline connects Coloradans to food and nutrition resources in just one call. All information is kept confidential.    









hfc new logo
       
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Helping those affected by flooding in Colorado

The recent flooding has affected many of our neighbors -- from lost homes and destroyed roads to organizations being stretched thin to provide vital assistance in the wake of the natural disaster. Thousands of Coloradans face challenges now and in the future, including access to food and nutrition.  

 

With so much water, damage and heartache, now is the time to come together and offer support. Here are some ways to get involved:

 

Visit HelpColoradoNow.com to find donation opportunities, including support for area hunger-relief organizations.

 

Encourage families and individuals to call the Hunger Free Hotline at (855) 855-4626. The free, bilingual hotline is confidential and connects Coloradans to food and nutrition resources. It's open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.  

 

Read and share important food safety information, which covers cleaning tips as well as items to discard. This not only applies to those directly impacted by the floods but individuals and groups wanting to donate produce or other foods to local food banks and pantries.

 

 

Still time to register for Hunger Free Colorado Summit, Oct. 1

  

Hungry for change? Join anti-hunger champions for a full day of cross-sector learning at the Hunger Free Colorado Summit! This year's convening will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 1 at Hangar 61 in Denver.  

 

The third annual Summit will include a morning keynote, breakout sessions and networking opportunities. Ellen Teller of the Food Research & Action Center will speak in the morning about the Farm Bill, and interactive sessions throughout the day will cover topics such as creative food sourcing, diversity and inclusiveness, branding and collective impact.

 

A Hunger Through My Lens exhibit will be on display at the Summit as well, showcasing the project participants' photographs and stories of everyday life with hunger.

 

Space is limited, so learn more and register online today! The registration fee is $70 for non-profit representatives and $90 for corporations and other attendees. It includes breakfast, lunch and social hour. 

 

Thanks to the 2013 Summit sponsors: Old Chicago/Rock Bottom; Restaurant & Brewery; Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck; Deloitte Consulting LLP; Rebound Solutions; WOW! Internet, Cable & Phone; and LiveWell Colorado.

 

 
House to vote on $40 billion in SNAP cuts tomorrow

"SNAP was just an immense help," said Lori, a Colorado resident whose health led her to unemployment for a period of time. "It's very important I eat healthy, and when you have no money, you can't. I needed to get myself to work but didn't have the nutritional resources that I needed to help me."
 
The U.S. House of Representatives are considering SNAP cuts that would be devastating for 4 to 6 million Americans like Lori, who have utilized SNAP for nutritional support while getting back on their feet.

Tomorrow our Colorado Representatives will vote on a new proposal, a separate, nutrition-only farm bill created by House leadership, that slashes the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program by $40 billion over the next 10 years. The Nutritional Reform and Opportunity Act would force millions off of the nutrition assistance program -- including 55,710 Coloradans -- making it more challenging for them to put food on their tables.

SNAP offers temporary support to millions of  families, children, seniors and other individuals affected by the economic downturn, many who are seeking employment, getting by on meager wages or having to choose between paying medical bills and food. Deep cuts to SNAP would harm these neighbors and put a greater burden on charities and faith-based organizations that already stretch their resources to meet community needs for food assistance. It could also hurt our state's economy.

"SNAP is a safety-net, not a hammock for those struggling to make ends meet," said Maura Barnes, director of policy and advocacy for Hunger Free Colorado. "And it makes dollars and sense for Colorado. SNAP has created more than 70,000 jobs between 2008 and 2012, as well as generated $3 billion in federal funding for Colorado retailers, including grocery stores."

Now is not the time to cut SNAP benefits for Colorado families, children, seniors and other neighbors struggling to make ends meet.

Protect SNAP by contacting your Colorado delegates in D.C. today! The House may vote on the proposal tomorrow, so your calls and emails could help prevent devastating cuts. Visit our online action center for a quick and easy way to send an email to your legislators.

 


Colorado middle schools competing to be crowned champion in Breakfast Games   

Breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day, and the Breakfast Games invites schools across Colorado to strive for gold in an annual school challenge. This year's competition includes more than a dozen middle schools vying for the title of "Breakfast Games Champion," and the winning schools -- the two with the largest increase in breakfast participation -- will receive cash prizes.

The Games opened this month and runs through January 2014, with a goal to increase student participation in the School Breakfast Program. The top schools will be crowned champions during National School Breakfast Week in March 2014. The winners will be awarded prize money -- $5,000 for "gold" and $1,000 for "silver." Those that reach 90 percent participation will also receive a $1,000 "ultimate achiever" award.

Creative ideas will fuel each school's participation, including student-run promotions and activities such as "breakfast clubs" and displays to showcase the importance of breakfast. School officials and district personnel are rallying around the competition as well by implementing innovative serving models like Breakfast in the Classroom.

The annual school breakfast challenge is presented by the Colorado No Kid Hungry campaign, a statewide, public-private initiative of Hunger Free Colorado, Share Our Strength and the Office of Gov. John Hickenlooper.

Read more about the Breakfast Games and past challenges.  

 
Hunger Free Colorado is the state's leading anti-hunger organization leveraging the power
of collaboration, system change, policy change and social change to end hunger in Colorado.