Food pantries, community support networks strained by SNAP cuts

Following the pausing of federal funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, emergency food providers across the state of Colorado continue to face additional demand from local communities.

According to the USDA, “(SNAP) served an average of 41.7 million people per month, or 12.3% of U.S. residents.”

Kelsey Hammon is the senior communications coordinator at the Food Bank for Larimer County and put into perspective the number of people who SNAP serves in Larimer County alone.

“SNAP food assistance is a lifeline to 34,000 Larimer County residents,” Hammon said. “With these benefits on hold, it has created a situation where the food bank may be the only place to turn to receive food. As a result, we have seen a much greater need for support.”

Hammon said she saw a jump in patron signups for the organization’s No-Cost Market locations following the cancelling of SNAP payments.
“The first week and a half in, the staff and volunteers we work with saw a lot of need. People want to serve their community, but for workers, they are being spread thin.” -Caitlin Stuart, Double Up Food Bucks senior program manager
“To put it in perspective, in October, our two Fresh Food Share No-Cost Markets saw more than three times the number of new household signups,” Hammon said. “That’s a jump from an average of 150 signups a month in July, September and August to more than 500 in October.”

Hammon provided an anecdote from a local family to illustrate her point that SNAP benefits are used ardently across Larimer County, and even then, food banks remain highly utilized resources.

“I recently talked with a working family of six,” Hammon said. “Mariah is a grocery store worker. Her husband, Nate, has medical issues and stays home to help provide care for their four sons. They receive SNAP benefits, and Mariah told me they use every cent to keep food on the table. When they heard they were losing their benefits, it created an immensely stressful situation for them.”

Serena Thomas is the programs director at the Murphy Center for Hope, which is operated by Homeward Alliance. Thomas shared the increase in patrons that the organization has worked to accommodate since SNAP benefits were paused.

“The number of people requesting help with food has increased tremendously,” Thomas said. “We typically receive one to two calls a day from people wanting to make an appointment for assistance with food, clothing, hygiene items and/or resource navigation. … Since the last week of October, the volume has been three to five calls an hour.”

Thomas said that when she speaks to families, their concerns go beyond the loss of SNAP benefits.

“They are obviously very concerned about feeding their families, but along with that are worried about paying rent and other bills without their budgeted food assistance,” Thomas said.

Caitlin Stuart is the senior program manager for Double Up Food Bucks, a subset of Nourish Colorado. Stuart said the program has also experienced the increase in need at food pantries and organizations, leading to volunteer shortages as the organization navigates additional demand from the community.

“The first week and a half in, the staff and volunteers we work with saw a lot of need,” Stuart said. “People want to serve their community, but for workers, they are being spread thin.”

Stuart also argued the effects of the lapse in funding will reverberate even after payments resume.

“There will be a lot of secondary trauma,” Stuart said. “There are kids who show up in the evening, and it’s their first meal of the day because they don’t go to school.”

Daysi Sweaney is the director of nutrition incentives at Nourish Colorado and noted that the loss of incentives given to nutrition security organizations through the community’s use of SNAP benefits will affect their long-term viability.

The impact Sweaney has seen also pertains to Colorado farmers and stores, with some local producers unable to pay rent due to decreased sales.

“Stores purchase from local farmers, then they sell produce to SNAP benefit recipients,” Sweaney said. “With the cuts, they can’t sell and can’t purchase from farmers.”

Anya Rose, the director of public policy for Hunger Free Colorado, shared a statement regarding the loss of federal funding its effects across the state.

“The Trump administration’s decision to block and delay full November SNAP benefits — despite having clear authority and available contingency funds to prevent this crisis — has fueled hunger, confusion and unmeetable demand at food pantries and food banks across Colorado and the country,” the statement reads. “This harm was entirely avoidable. Families, older adults, people with disabilities and students who rely on SNAP to put food on the table are facing uncertainty and anxiety, while emergency food providers are stretched far beyond capacity. State efforts to help support the emergency food system are important and needed but simply can’t fill the gap of $120 million in SNAP that eligible Coloradans receive.”

Considering cuts to federal assistance, several local food pantries and CSU programs have extended a helping hand to students who are at risk of experiencing food insecurity. The Collegian has compiled a list of available resources for those seeking support.

Rams Against Hunger Food Pantry

Address: CSU General Services Building, 1251 S. Mason St., Fort Collins

Details: Open 2-5 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and 9 a.m to noon on Tuesdays. Bring reusable bags and CSU ID card.

Fort Collins Fresh Food Share No-Cost Market

Address: 1301 Blue Spruce Dr., Fort Collins

Details: Open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays; open noon to 3 p.m. on Wednesdays for accessible shopping only.

Murphy Center For Hope

Address: 242 Conifer St., Fort Collins

Details: Open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays-Fridays.

Fort Collins Food Co-Op 

Address: 250 E. Mountain Ave, Fort Collins.

Details: Open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week.

UCHealth Family Medicine Center Food Pantry

Address: 1025 Pennock Place Suite 109, Fort Collins