DENVER – Nearly 40% of Coloradans are struggling to get food on the table due to the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, the highest rate of food insecurity ever reported in the state, according to a new Colorado No Hunger Poll.

Ellie Agar, the group’s communications director, said the rate was twice as high as at the height of the Great Recession, with more than half of families with children not knowing where their next meal will come from.

She added that COVID-19 has also dramatically increased long-standing disparities in access to healthy food.

“Individuals of color are disproportionately affected,” said Agar. “About 50% said they had a hard time getting food on the table, and one of the main reasons was that they saw a higher loss of income during the pandemic.”

Fifty-one percent of Coloradans of color have lost income since the start of the pandemic, compared to 35% of White Coloradans.

Agar stressed that additional federal assistance will be needed to deal with the scale of the crisis. But some members of Congress have opposed the adoption of additional relief plans, citing concerns over the increase in the national debt and uncertainty that the money will go to those who need it most.

Agar argued that state lawmakers should also invest in scaling up outreach efforts to ensure more families can access SNAP, the program formerly known as food stamps.

She pointed out that every dollar of SNAP profits generates $ 1.50 in economic activity. Last year, the program added $ 1.5 billion to Colorado’s economy.

“So we know that by investing in these things, we are not only reducing health care costs, by helping our workers, our children, our families, but we are putting money back directly into our local economies; by helping our people. local grocery stores and our local food systems, ”said Agar.

The survey found that hunger is now a top concern for nearly one in four Colorado households.

Agar observed that if families are not able to consistently put healthy food on the table, studies have shown that the health and well-being of hundreds of thousands of children across the state will suffer for decades. years.

Help is available online at www.COfoodfinder.org.

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CEDAR CITY, Utah – A new legislative study shows that more than 100,000 Utah families are periodically food insecure, which means they don’t have the resources to buy enough food.

The report was released in October by the Utah Task on Food Safety, chaired by State Senator Luz Escamilla – D-Salt Lake County. The panel looked at the root causes of hunger in the state and made a series of recommendations to the legislature to increase the people of Utah’s access to food.

Gina Cornia is the executive director of Utahns Against Hunger and co-chaired the working group. She said that while overall the state is close to the national average for poverty, the problem is concentrated in rural areas.

“The housing issue, the salary issue, the transportation issues,” Cornia said. “The theme was, it’s not that there isn’t enough food, but that there are underlying barriers to people’s access to food.”

The recommendations included actions to strengthen Utah’s pantry and food bank network, increase economic stability and reduce demand for food aid, and identify and remove barriers to participation in programs. federal nutrition.

Iron County in southwest Utah has one of the highest poverty rates in the state. Cedar City’s Iron County Care and Share Pantry provides food and other household items to more than 850 families per month.

Pantry executive director Peggy Green said the need for food aid sometimes lurks behind a veneer of normalcy.

“Iron County really has a high level of poverty,” Green said. “Homeless individuals. Food insecurity is a bit unrecognizable in our rural community. When you drive through Cedar [City], what you see is ‘Nice downtown, nice main street, and didn’t they have Shakespeare award at the Tony’s?’ “

Green said the need for help is increasing due to the rising cost of living.

“Consistently,” said Green, “every week we have five to seven new pantry customers who are seniors who come into our home after visiting the grocery store and share with us, ‘I went to the grocery store – I can’t afford it. ‘”

The report found that food insecurity disproportionately affects children, single mothers, the elderly, and black, indigenous and colored communities. The working group will continue to meet and make recommendations for policy changes.

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DENVER – This week, the American House should finally put the Rebuild Better Act to the vote, and Colorado children’s advocates are pushing the state’s congressional delegation to push forward a bill they say will ensure more children can access nutritious food.

Ashley Wheeland, director of public policy at Hunger Free Colorado, said the measure would remove barriers to allow more schools to participate in free school lunch and summer programs.

“In Colorado, we’ve been left behind a lot because our low-income kids are so scattered around the state,” Wheeland said. “But the provisions of the Build Back Better plan would make it a better option for more schools serving a higher percentage of low-income children.”

Among other so-called soft infrastructure priorities, Build Back Better would increase the number of schools that offer free meals to all students, and expand a program to help students who receive free or discounted school meals access education. food when school cafeterias close for the summer.

Republicans and some Democrats are opposed to the measure, citing its price of nearly $ 2 trillion and concerns about rising national debt.

Wheeland noted that Build Back Better was designed to be paid in full by closing tax loopholes for businesses and wealthier Americans.

She said helping students access nutritious food year-round can help them overcome the educational, health and economic impacts of the pandemic and set them on the path to becoming successful adults.

“Children don’t have to be hungry to learn,” Wheeland said. “We are investing in our public education, and it is important that this education works for all children. So it is very important that we also make sure that all children have access to the food they need.”

Build Back Better would provide schools with $ 30 million to upgrade kitchen equipment and $ 250 million to encourage healthier meals. The measure also allows states and tribes that participate in nutrition programs for women, infants and children to provide additional assistance for summer meals.

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SIOUX CITY, Iowa – From supply chain issues to rising food prices, local food departments face a sea of ​​obstacles in gathering enough supplies for those who need help.

The Iowa sites say there are a number of ways the public could help to meet the nutritional needs of customers. The Siouxland Food Bank, which covers several counties in northwest Iowa, said demand had picked up after leveling off earlier this year.

Jake Wanderscheid, executive director of the food bank, said it comes at a time when on the shopping side it is not so easy to fill their shelves with certain items.

“Our last purchase, we were able to get as many soups as we wanted, but we are struggling to find canned fruit,” Wanderscheid said. “A month ago it was difficult to find variety in vegetables.

And when they are successful in finding products, the cost is 10-20% higher. The organization said the public can help by making a financial donation, providing more flexibility in targeting missing items.

The American Heart Association noted that if underserved communities do not have access to nutrition, residents are at greater risk for obesity, heart disease and poor mental health.

Patty Sneddon-Kisting, executive director of the Urbandale Food Pantry, said at this point in the pandemic they are still seeing 60 new families every month. She pointed out that when it comes to community donations, the pandemic still limits local food drives, and added that there are ways that innovation can be very helpful.

“Make wish lists on Amazon and have people buy items and submit them here,” Sneddon-Kisting suggested.

She recommended calling ahead to ask for what your local shelf needs. Volunteering is also encouraged to help sort out donations. As households grapple with higher grocery bills, food departments are anticipating more needs, especially with the holiday season taking shape.

Sneddon-Kisting pointed out that they have had to be more budget conscious amid rising turkey costs, creating more dilemmas in meeting needs at this time of year.

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