Colorado Food Assistance
Food Stamps * Food Banks * Food Pantries * Soup Kitchens * WIC
School Meals * Special Milk * Summer Food * Senior Nutrition
In the State of Colorado, there are many sources for help with food. Colorado Food Assistance Program, food banks, food pantries, and soup kitchens are all helping residents in need to cope with hunger and food insecurity.
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Learn more about
SNAP benefits a.k.a. Food Stamps in Colorado
Who is eligible for SNAP benefits (Food Stamps) in Colorado?
How to apply for Colorado Food Assistance?
How does Colorado Department of Human Services determine eligibility?
Approved! When and how do I get the Food Stamps benefits?
How much Food Stamps benefits do participants receive per month?
How and where to use Food Stamps Benefits?
Food Stamps in Colorado
In the State of Colorado, there are many sources for help with food, and all is directed to helping needy residents cope with hunger and food insecurity.
A cornerstone in Colorado food assistance is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) administered by the Colorado Department of Human Services.
The SNAP in Colorado is known as the Colorado Food Assistance Program that provides the food stamps benefits to all eligible Colorado residents.
According to the Colorado Department of Human Services, the Colorado Food Assistance Program helps qualified low-income households to buy the food needed for a nutritionally adequate diet.
%
Approx. of the total Colorado population received Food Stamp Benefits in 2018
Recipients in June, 2018 of Food Stamps (SNAP) Benefits in Colorado
Recipients in June, 2017 of Food Stamp (SNAP) Benefits in Colorado
If you are in Colorado and need food assistance help, you must apply to find out if you qualify for the monthly food stamp benefits.
If approved, you will start getting food stamps a.k.a. Colorado food assistance benefits on a monthly basis.
The monthly food assistance benefits are called allotments and are deposited in dollars into the Electronic Benefits Card (EBT) accounts of each beneficiary.
This is done each month on a certain date following the Benefits Issuance Schedule.
The monetary benefits of the Colorado Food Assistance Program are accessible by their beneficiaries through provided Colorado Quest Card.
Each EBT account comes with a bank debit card that can be used at any of the Colorado food stamps approved grocery stores.
Find more on what kind of food you can buy using your Colorado Food Assistance benefits…
Food Assistance Program | Eligibility | Apply | Approval | Benefits
Colorado Food Assistance Benefits
Find more on what kind of food you can buy using your Colorado Food Assistance benefits…
Food Assistance Program | Eligibility | Apply | Approval | Benefits
Food Banks in Colorado
Colorado food banks play an important role in the overall effort to end hunger and food insecurity throughout the State.
Their main objective is to collect food from various sources like wholesale organizations, grocery stores, and farms who have food in excess and are willing to donate.
Food banks then sort store and distribute donated food to local soup kitchens, shelters, and food pantries.
The Food Bank of the Rockies is such a non-profit organization that works to alleviate hunger in Colorado.
Colorado Food Banks
Food Pantries in Colorado
Food pantries offer food directly to people that need it and who have means to cook it.
They usually receive food from local food banks and in turn distribute it to low-income individuals and households at no cost.
Food pantries are typically located in facilities where received food can be stored and handled in a safe and sanitary manner.
Each food pantry serves a designated local area, and most of them require prior registration and approval before food can be distributed to a particular individual or a family.
Soup Kitchens in Colorado
Soup kitchens serve cooked meals on-site to needy people at no cost. Like food pantries, they normally receive their food from local food banks.
Soup kitchens take care mostly of homeless people and people who do not have the means to cook for themselves.
They require storage, cleaning, and cooking equipment as they have to do food preparation, serving, and cleaning after the meals.
Food pantries are typically located in facilities where received food can be stored and handled in a safe and sanitary manner.
Each food pantry serves a designated local area, and most of them require prior registration and approval before food can be served to a particular individual or a family.
WIC Program in Colorado
Colorado Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) provides healthy foods, breastfeeding support, nutrition education, health care referrals to pregnant women, new mothers, infants and young children during times of important growth.
Colorado Women, Infants, and Children Program
School Meals in Colorado
School meals in Colorado are offered mainly through the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program. The Colorado school meals programs make nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free meals available to school children each school day in the year.
School meals nutritional standards are based on the recommendation from the Institute of Medicine and the U.S. Government and teachers have reported that students perform better in class if they get regular meals. Children getting school breakfast also had significantly reduced absence and tardiness rates, according to a Tufts University study.
Colorado School Lunch Program | Colorado School Breakfast Program
Special Milk Program in Colorado
Colorado Special Milk Program offers milk to children in schools, childcare institutions, and eligible camps. Any child in a school or institution that participates in the Special Milk Program can get milk. Schools may elect to offer free milk to low-income children. USDA Income Eligibility Guidelines are used to determine if a child can receive free milk provided through Colorado Special Milk Program.
Summer Food Program in Colorado
Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) provides free meals and snacks to help low-income Colorado children get nutritious meals in the summertime. The SFSP is a federal program that provides grants to local sponsors who want to combine a food service with a summer activity program.
The funding provided by SFSP ensures that Colorado children in low-income areas continue to receive nutritious meals during long school vacations when they do not have access to school lunch or breakfast.
Colorado Summer Food Service Program
Sources: State Agencies, FNS, USDA