News & Events

Open Summer Food Sites in Colorado:   Rising food prices and a tougher economy are forcing an icnreasing number of Coloradans to seek assistance and taxing the response capaibilities of food banks throughout the state.  CAN is urging Coloradans in need of food assistance to take advantage of a summer food service porgram through the end of July.  

Free nutritious meals and snacks help children in low-income areas and adults accompanying children can also access the program by paying up to $2.50 per day.  Summer meals are available at local schools, recreations centers, churches, clubs, and other alternative locations. 

To find a summer food site in your community open the link below:

http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdenutritran/download/pdf/Summer08OpenSites.pdf

For Immediate Release:  August 6, 2008

For Information Contact:

Tina Podolak #720.530.3379

John Willard #720.883.5003

Colorado Reaching Only 8% of Low-Income Children with Summer Meals Program

Denver, Colorado – August 6, 2008 – On an average day in July 2007, 14,785 low-income children participated daily in the summer nutrition programs in Colorado, according to the Colorado Anti-Hunger Network, far fewer than the state should be feeding. If the state were to reach 40 children with summer food for every 100 low-income children who get school lunch during the regular school year, an attainable goal, Colorado would have fed 57,355  more children every day in July 2007 and brought in $3,456,764 more federal dollars. 

The Summer Nutrition Programs are especially important for the millions of low-income children (and their parents) who rely on school breakfast and lunch during the school year. Families with tight budgets find themselves especially strapped during the summer, and that situation is worsening.

“As more families grapple with tight budgets and rising food costs, our state must reach many more children with the federal funds that are available to feed them in the summer,” said Tina Podolak, Executive Director of the Colorado Anti-Hunger Network. “Almost twice as many Colorado children are living in poverty as in 2000, making the state’s population of improvished kids the fastest growing in the nation.  The Summer Nutrition Programs can help families stretch limited dollars and provide healthy meals to hungry children.”

Nationally, while 16.3 million low-income children receive school lunch during the regular school year, only 2.85 million get summer food when school is out.  “Some drop-off from school year to summertime can be expected, but far too many children are falling through the cracks,” said Jim Weill, president of the Food Research and Action Center, which issued the summer food report.

Colorado participates in the national “Simplified” Summer Food Program which reduces administrative barriers and makes it easier for summer sites to get maximum federal nutrition reimbursement.  “Having Simplified in our state creates a new opportunity for us to reach more children. It is important that we take full advantage of the new rules to ensure that children do not go hungry during the summer months,” said Kay Bengston, President of the Colorado Anti-Hunger Network.

The Colorado Anti-Hunger Network, the Colorado Food Bank Association and Kamlet Shepherd & Reichert, LLP are hosting a leadership discussion on hunger during the Democratic National Convention.  Colorado leaders will join national hunger advocates to understand Colorado’s crisis and how other states have adopted policy changes to strategically and effectively help the hungry. 

# # #

About the report:

Data for Colorado came from an annual report released by the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), a national anti-hunger advocacy and research group. The FRAC report, Hunger Doesn’t Take A Vacation, gives data for all states and looks at national trends. The report measures participation in the summer nutrition programs by comparing the number of children receiving summer meals to the number of low-income children receiving school lunch during the regular school year. FRAC measures national summer participation during the month of July, when typically all children are out of school throughout the month and lose access to school meals. The report is available online at www.frac.org.

About the Leadership Discussion on Hunger during the Democratic National Convention:

August 27, 2008

8:30 am – 10: 30 am

Tamayo Restaurant

14th & Larimer, Downtown Denver

For Information Contact:  John Willard #720.883.5003

YOU ARE INVITED

TO JOIN IN A DISCUSSION ABOUT ENDING CHILDHOOD HUNGER

WITH

ROBERT L.E. EGGER

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 13, 2008

3:00 PM

MONTVIEW PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH ~ MCCULLUM ROOM

1980 DAHLIA STREET, DENVER

ONE VOICE FOR CHANGE … “I realized long ago that we could never solve the problems of hunger and poverty, but we could sure do a whole lot more if we acted in concert with others. In my travels I can see, like many of you, that our nation faces challenging issues in the not to distant future.  Issues that, I believe, will demand more coordination and cooperation from nonprofits in communities from coast to coast--issues that will also demand a greater understanding of our social and economic potential. We have to move beyond the notion of simple charity and recognize that our resources must be maximized, our results measured and our methods modernized. In EVERY town, in EVERY state, nonprofits, volunteers, donors and the people we serve must begin to stand together and work for something much, much different--real change.  I am beyond ready to face this new challenge. I hope you will join me!

Robert Egger

Robert Egger is the Founder and President of the DC Central Kitchen, where unemployed men and women learn marketable culinary skills while foods donated by restaurants, hotels and caterers are converted into balanced meals. Since opening in 1989, the Kitchen has distributed 17.4 million meals and helped over 605 men and women gain full-time employment. Currently, Robert is the Co-Convener of the first ever Nonprofit Congress and the founder of the V3 Campaign (www.v3campaign.org), which is working to get the voice, value and votes of the nonprofit sector recognized in every election in America.  Robert is also the Chairperson of the DC Mayor’s Commission on Nutrition and serves on the Boards of TimeBanks USA and the Food Systems Leadership Institute.   Robert was included in the Non Profit Times list of the “50 Most Powerful and Influential Nonprofit Leaders” in 2006 and 2007. He was the recipient of the 2005 Volunteers of America Community Service award and the 2004 James Beard Foundation Humanitarian of the Year award. He has also been named an Oprah Angel, a Washingtonian of the Year, a Point of Light and one of the Ten Most Caring People in America, by the Caring Institute. Robert’s book on the non-profit sector, Begging for Change: The Dollars and Sense of Making Nonprofits Responsive, Efficient and Rewarding For All, which was released in 2004 by HarperCollins, received the 2005 McAdam Prize for “Best Nonprofit Management Book” by the Alliance for Nonprofit Management.   Robert speaks throughout the country and writes blogs and editorials to share his ideas about the nonprofit sector and the future of America.  To check out Robert’s most recent speaking schedule, blogs, and editorials, please visit www.robertegger.org

For information:  #720.530.3379

Upcoming Opportunity to Offer USDA Recommendations for Improving Child Nutrition Programs

USDA is taking two steps to obtain public recommendations for the 2009 Child Nutrition Reauthorization:  1) holding regional listening sessions, and 2) requesting written public comments.

The comment period and the regional hearings will be important opportunities for the anti-hunger community to provide recommendations on improving access, meal quality and reimbursements, streamlining administration of the program, reducing paperwork burdens and program barriers.

USDA will compile the results of the sessions and comments into a report for the new Administration to use in the 2009 reauthorization of the Child Nutrition and WIC Programs.

USDA Mountain Plains' Listening Session:  The listening session for the Mountain Plains region (CO, IA, KS, MO, MT, NE, ND, SD, UT, WY) will be on September 11th at the Colorado History Museum in Denver, Colorado from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

As anti-hunger advocates and providers, we can play a key role by offering effective recommendations for much-needed improvements to the CN programs.

Colorado Childhood Poverty Increases 73%

Highest Rate of Increase in the Nation

Between 2000 and 2006, Colorado had a 73 percent increase in the number of children living in poverty, the highest rate of increase in the nation, according to a report released today by the Colorado Children’s Campaign. According to the 2008 KidsCount in Colorado report, about 180,000 children in Colorado were living in poverty in 2006, nearly 76,000 more children than were living in poverty in 2000. At the same time, the total number of children in the state increased only six percent.

“By a lot of different measures, poverty is the largest obstacle to opportunity for Colorado’s kids and its impact can last a lifetime,” said Megan Ferland, President of the Colorado Children’s Campaign. “Kids growing up in poverty often struggle with educational, health, emotional and behavioral difficulties, and a range of other challenges that decrease their chances of success and often rob them of hope at an early age. This is a trend our children, and our state, cannot afford.”

According to the report, U.S. Census Bureau estimates indicate that more than 180,000 of Colorado’s children, or 15.7 percent, live below the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), defined by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as $21,200 for a family of four in 2008. The state’s number of children living in poverty is quickly approaching the national average of 18.3 percent. In addition, approximately 82,000 children in Colorado live in extreme poverty – which is 50 percent of FPL or $7,000 per year for a single mom and her child. In fact, the percentage of children living in extreme poverty had a faster rate of growth (116 percent) than any other group of poor children in the state. The largest numbers of these children are under the age of five.

Rising Food Prices and the Current Economic Downturn

LOW AND STAGNANT WAGES, INADEQUATE BENEFITS, HOME FORCLOSURES, INCREASED ENERGY AND FOOD COSTS, AND INADEQUATE AND OFTEN SHRINKING PUBLIC SUPPORT MEANS WORSE DIETS AND MORE HUNGER

THE PERFECT STORM

• Increasing food insecurity (households, because of shortages of resources, are running out of food during the month; parents are skipping meals so children can have enough to eat, or the family can't purchase a minimally adequate, balanced and healthy diet).
• Families with children are even more likely to be food insecure.
• Food prices have jumped ... food at home rose 5.1% from February 2007-2008.
• An average family spends about 7% of its income on food at home, and another 5-6% on food away from home.  At the poverty line, however, a family spends as much as 1/3 of its income on food. 
• Price of the Thrifty Food Plan (least expensive basket of food which the government goes into the market and prices) rose faster ... 6.5%.
• Increasing fixed costs:  rent or mortgage, health insurance premiums, minimum credit card or payday loan payments, gasoline to drive to and from work, car insurance, and utilities.
• Food Deserts:  areas with few or no grocery stores and supermarkets making access to healthy foods difficult for low-income families.

2008 ANNUAL MEETING & CELEBRATION

Roxanne White, Director of the Denver Department of Human Services spoke about hunger in our community and about the increasing demand for food assistance and the impact of a record number of foreclosures.  She discussed the current client application, large caseloads (over 600 per worker in Denver), caseworker training, CBMS and federal reauthorization of the Farm Bill.  According to Rozanne, successes in Denver include "a backlog of cases is less than it was before CBMS; the Department is slowly increasing staffing and decreasing caseload size, the Food Stamp Program is the largest program, over 24,000 calls a month are received and over 90% are resolved within 48 hours, they are managing 1,500 pieces of mail every day."  Roxanne shared her personal experiences in taking the Food Stamp Challenge and continues to encourage others to participate in this challenge.

Foothills Academy students shared their experiences from a Hunger Fast and talked about their "eyes on hunger" campaign.  Over $2,400 was raised for CAN in donations from the students efforts.  CAN looks forward to working with these students on grassroots organizing in 2008.

HUNGER CHAMPIONS

CAN recognized the following individuals/organizations because they have exemplified outstanding leadership in alleviating hunger or have made a significant impact in the fight against hunger and its roots causes. 

Bethany Lutheran Church (Sarah Hulslander)

SAME (So All May Eat) Cafe (Libby & Brad Birky)

Community Food Share (Jim Baldwin)

Operation Frontline ~ Share Our Strength (Ward Utter)

Election of 2008 CAN Officers

President ~ Kay Bengsten

President-Elect ~ Ruth Stemler

Treasurer ~ Jessica Newman

Secretary ~ Tami Anderson

A SPECIAL THANKS TO COLORADO ANTI-HUNGER NETWORK BOARD MEMBERS WHO HAVE PROVIDED VISION AND LEADERSHIP DURING THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS. THEY CONTINUE TO BE COMMITTED HUNGER ADVOCATES!

Tammy Mulligan, Tori Ford, Dan McMillan, Elizabeth Horn, Rick Rank,            Jim Baldwin and Amy Wood

Thanks to the Western Dairy Council for providing breakfast!

JOIN US: The Colorado Anti-Hunger Network meets the 3rd Friday of each month at 9:00 am ~ Montview Presbyterian Church, 1980 Dahlia St. Denver