DENVER (KDVR) — The Colorado Governor’s Office on Wednesday submitted two requests to aid recipients of federal benefits during the federal government shutdown, including up to $10 million to support food banks and pantries.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis announced in a press release that the submission of two requests to the Joint Budget Committee comes as the federal government shutdown threatens to stop funding for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits on Nov. 1.
SNAP is a federally funded program that provides food benefits to low-income households. Recipients of SNAP are provided a supplemental grocery budget in order to afford essential food. According to the press release, SNAP provides food access to 330,00 households across the state and benefits more than 600,000 Coloradans, half of whom are children.
As the federal government shutdown has been ongoing, local county governments and Colorado lawmakers, including Polis, have previously warned citizens of the possible suspension of SNAP benefits in November.
However, even though SNAP is a federally funded program, food benefits are still administered by the Colorado Department of Human Services. According to the press release, during the federal government shutdown, CDHS is still coordinating with state counties, food banks and organizations.
“Our priority is to make sure no Coloradan goes hungry and has access to the healthy food they need during the federal shutdown while SNAP benefits are on hold. CDHS and our county partners are coordinating with food banks to fill gaps where we can, and we are processing applications daily to make sure Coloradans get their SNAP benefits the moment federal funding resumes,” said Minna Castillo, deputy executive director of the Colorado Department of Human Services.
Along with the $10 million request in General Fund revenue for support of food banks, the second request is to approve funding for women, infants and children nutrition access also during November. WIC supports access for nearly 100,000 women and children in the state, according to the press release.
“We’re providing emergency state support for food banks, extending WIC access, and giving every Coloradan an opportunity to help by donating to FeedingColorado.org/donate. Together, we can make sure every family has access to healthy food and every community has the support it needs during this challenging time,” said Polis.
According to the press release, in addition to the two requests, the Feeding Colorado initiative was also announced on Wednesday. The initiative gives community members and businesses the opportunity to donate to help with food assistance in the state.
Colorado families and community members needing additional food resources during the federal government shutdown are asked to reach out to local food banks or organizations, which can be contacted at the following:
- Colorado 211: Dial 211 or 866-760-5489 or visit www.211colorado.org
- Feeding Colorado Resources at www.feedingcolorado.org/find-food or [email protected]
“Coloradans take care of one another, and we’re stepping up to make sure hardworking families can continue putting food on the table while federal funding is on hold,” said Polis.
Anthony Sutton is a business strategist and writer with a passion for management, leadership, and entrepreneurship. With years of experience in the corporate world, he shares insights on business growth, strategy, and innovation through management-opleiding.org.
