Dear Hunger Relief Partners,
Heading into 2025, together with partners like you, we will continue to show up for any person experiencing hunger knowing that food insecurity can impact any of us at various points in our lives. We will never waver from our mission of igniting the power of community to nourish people facing hunger.
To achieve our mission, we need to continue to strive to reduce as many barriers as possible for neighbors to access services in a way that supports them to feel welcome and safe regardless of how they identify or their legal status.
As we continue to see the number of folks experiencing hunger increase across our region, we also would like to provide resources to support your teams to continue to be resilient contributors to our collective mission through community and self-care. Based on our conversations with partners, we want to highlight three key areas of support we will be focusing on this year: refreshing our data policy, providing additional resources and training, and offering a new welcome poster to all partners (see below in newsletter). More information about these will be communicated soon.
Thank you again for all you do!
With gratitude,
Ashley Newell
Director of Programs
anewell@foodbankrockies.org
Our Data Promise and Policy
Our Impact and Programs teams are reviewing the minimum data requirements and retention guidelines across all programs. This will help us find the right balance between respecting neighbors’ privacy and gathering the necessary information to make data-driven decisions in accordance with best practices.
If you are hearing feedback from neighbors regarding data concerns or would like to discuss data best practices in your organization, please reach out to Britni Stupin at bstupin@foodbankrockies.org.
Resources and Trainings
Here are several resources and trainings that can support your team and the neighbors you support:
- Support your neighbors to know their rights: https://iamerica.org/know-your-rights/
- Support your team and neighbors to understand public charge: https://keepyourbenefits.org/en/na/public-charge
- Food Programs and Your Rights: A Guide for Immigrant Families (available in several languages): https://pifcoalition.org/food
- Compassion Fatigue and the Road to Compassion Resilience: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5snTuljOt0
- De-escalation and Conflict Management (English only, Spanish in development): This is a recording of training provided to partners to develop skills and tactics to assist in situations needing de-escalation.
- Building Belonging: Best Practices for Inclusive Pantries (English and Spanish): The Building Belonging Program assists Hunger Relief Partners in understanding and addressing the barriers to access that our neighbors may experience. These practices aim to support creating spaces of belonging and increasing equity in your distributions.
Welcome Poster and Service Statement
We’ve received feedback from our Hunger Relief Partners that having a consistent, visual reminder of our commitment to welcoming all neighbors is important. To address this, we’re excited to offer our new “All Are Welcome” poster, displayed in the 11 most common languages in our Colorado service area. We also have our “Serving Our Communities” statement available. By displaying these materials, we can collectively ensure that neighbors see a unified message across hunger-relief organizations, reinforcing that actions or language that hinder the safety and inclusivity of all clients will not be tolerated. Welcome posters will be available for pick-up from the order window, or you can contact us at CRFI@foodbankrockies.org to arrange for a poster to be sent with your delivery.
We are here to support you and help implement best practices to ensure we all serve our communities with dignity and respect. Together, we can lift up all neighbors. Feel free to reach out if you have additional ideas of how we can continue to do so!
Important Dates
Please note that due to our month-end closure on January 31, ordering schedules for early February have been affected. Please review the following closely. A full calendar is available in the link below.
- January 29 – Orders due for pick-ups on February 3
- January 30 – Orders due for pick-ups on February 4; new partner and shopper orientation at 1:00 p.m.(virtual)
- January 31 – Food Bank of the Rockies will be closed for our Staff Winter Party – no order pick-ups or Fresh Food Center
- February 11 – New partner and shopper orientation at 10:00 a.m. (virtual)
- February 19 – Tour Food Bank of the Rockies at 1:00 p.m.; in-person new partner and shopper orientation at 1:45 p.m.
- February 27 – New partner and shopper orientation at 1:00 p.m.(virtual)
- February 28 – Order pick-up and Fresh Food Center until 11:00 a.m.
To sign up for orientation or for questions about any of the dates above, contact partnersupport@foodbankrockies.org. For our full, detailed calendars, please click here.
Grant Opportunity
Healthy Food for Denver’s Kids – apply by January 28
Are you a nonprofit, public school, or city agency interested in serving Denver youth through food access and food education? The Denver Department of Public Health & Environment (DDPHE) is pleased to announce the sixth round of funding of the Healthy Food for Denver’s Kids (HFDK) program to support healthy food and food-based education in Denver. For more information and to apply, visit Health Food for Denver Kids Grant Opportunity.
RTD Transit Assistance Grant Program – apply by January 31
The RTD Transit Assistance Grant (TAG) Program is now accepting applications for 2025 – submit your application by midnight on January 31, 2025. The TAG program is designed to help organizations serving clients with immediate transit needs. RTD has set aside $1 million for this program, which will provide grants in the form of RTD fares for qualified nonprofit and governmental community/social service organizations. The distributed grants will be in the form of standard paper 10-ride ticket books or mobile tickets at no cost to grant recipients. For detailed information on eligibility requirements and the application process, please visit the Transit Assistance Grant page or email TAGProgram@RTD-Denver.com with any questions.
Program Updates
MARK YOUR CALENDAR – Regional Partner Town Hall Meetings
Join your Hunger Relief Partner peers and members of Food Bank of the Rockies to hear updates and share your insights about what is happening in your communities. In February, we will share an exciting update about the new Find Food mapping tool and how your organization will claim your profile to make updates. You’ll also hear from Jennie Kim, our Nutrition Manager, about the roll out of SWAP (Supporting Wellness at Pantries). Invites and Zoom links will be sent directly with the primary contact on your account. Please feel free to share with others who wish to join.
- Metro Partner Town Hall – Thursday, February 6, from 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
- Eastern Partner Town Hall – Wednesday, February 12, from 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
- Mountain Partner Town Hall – Wednesday, February 12, from 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
- Western Slope Partner Town Hall – Wednesday, February 19, from 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Partner Support
Tour the Food Bank
Beginning in 2025, the Partner Support team is excited to offer a monthly opportunity for our Hunger Relief Partners to visit Food Bank of the Rockies for a tour of our facility. We look forward to meeting your team members in person and showing you firsthand how we are working together to provide food assistance in our community. The tour will be held each month, typically on the third Wednesday – times will be included on the Partner calendar and noted above under Important Dates.
The tour will be followed by an optional in-person Hunger Relief Partner orientation for new partners, new shoppers, or anyone who would like a refresher. Upcoming tours will be January 22 at 10:00 a.m., February 19 at 1:00 p.m., and March 19 at 10:00 a.m. Whether you’d like to join for just the tour, just the in-person orientation, or both, we invite you to join us. Please RSVP by emailing partnersupport@foodbankrockies.org requesting which month’s tour you’d like to attend, how many team members will be joining, and if you plan to join for the tour or the tour and orientation.
Government Programs
New Everyday Eats Income Guidelines!
We are excited to announce that the Everyday Eats income eligibility guidelines have increased to 150% of the Federal Poverty Level! We are thrilled by the opportunity to serve older adults who were previously ineligible. Link2Feed is updated and the new applications can be found on the Partner Portal, Forms and Documents section.
Connecting with Neighbors at Everyday Eats Partner Distributions
Our bilingual SNAP representatives are available to support our older adult neighbors in accessing SNAP benefits by attending Everyday Eats distributions or other outreach opportunities at your location. Help connect neighbors to this vital resource. Please email Nancy and Yolanda at fbrsnap@foodbankrockies.org for more information and to schedule a time for them to attend your distribution.
Connect with us during our Everyday Eats Office Hours!
Join us during scheduled office hours to ask your questions about Everyday Eats and hear updates from our Government Programs Team including details on the new eligibility guidelines included above.
Tuesday, February 4, 2:00 p.m.- 3:00 p.m.
Zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87117326793?pwd=OBnP0HWlNkIWABsU6bLEbcQCWGSp1J.1
- Meeting ID: 871 1732 6793
- Passcode: 216125
Monday, February 10, 10:00 a.m.- 11:00 a.m.
Zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83637597231?pwd=E2GVJBtHqvG7RtFbQfwRmNMDLRSSPb.1
- Meeting ID: 836 3759 7231
- Passcode: 144723
Thursday, February 20, 2:30 p.m.- 3:30 p.m.
Zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85383782367?pwd=5P24KfCV19NIxSO7oVaw4KbHekJPpo.1
- Meeting ID: 853 8378 2367
- Passcode: 826780
TEFAP Eligibility Application Updates
TEFAP Eligibility Applications have gotten a couple of new updates! First, the income guidelines have been updated, as shown below:
Secondly, the address field of the TEFAP Eligibility Application has been updated to only require the collection of a ZIP code. This means that you may not require the disclosure of a full street address for TEFAP participation moving forward. Please note that if a neighbor does not wish to provide their ZIP code, you will input the ZIP code of your pantry instead.
Updated TEFAP Eligibility Applications can be found at https://cdhs.colorado.gov/TEFAP and must be in use by January 30, 2025.
TEFAP Policy Update
Neighbors wishing to participate in TEFAP are no longer required to provide identification! Please remove asking for identification and/or proof of address from your intake process.
Food for Kids Update
Totes of Hope™
Thank you to everyone who attended the Totes Town Halls last month! Your input, passion, and time is so appreciated. In December, we continued our conversations about the menus and the switch to pre-packed Totes, looked at the resource map for Totes partners (and the form to add suggestions), and talked about our continued partnership with Books & Bites. Let us know if you would like to receive books with an upcoming Totes order! We hope to continue these virtual town hall meetings as periodic check-ins about the program and hold space for continued collaboration and feedback.
Remember to enter your numbers in Link2Feed as you distribute Totes to the kids and families in your community! Reach out to FFK@foodbankrockies.org if you have any questions or need support.
CACFP
The annual CACFP training is now online! If you are a fresh or shelf-stable afterschool meals partner with us, we now have a virtual option for the CACFP Overview training on NeoGov. This training is one of the compliance requirements for any staff or volunteer responsible for meal service. Access to NeoGov can be found in our Partner Portal under the “Partner Training” category. If you have any questions, please email FFK@foodbankrockies.org.
Food Sourcing Update
Reminder: Community Choice Produce is now live on Partner Express!
This program is in response to many Hunger Relief Partners sharing a preference to purchase additional produce through us at a low price since we buy in bulk. This program offers produce like avocados, apples, tomatoes, and broccoli that are not items we’d purchase in full truckload quantities. The addition of Community Choice Produce will not impact the produce you normally receive at no cost on Partner Express. To find Community Choice Produce on Partner Express, you can search for produce and you’ll see the (PURCHASED) description on these items.
All other produce will still be available at no fee but will now have the descriptor (NO FEE).
Please reach out to partnersupport@foodbankrockies.org with any questions.
Nutrition Update
Learn about Healthy Eating Research (HER) /Supporting Wellness at Pantries (SWAP)
Supporting Wellness at Pantries (SWAP) is launching this year, aligning with Healthy Eating Research (HER) guidelines that promote the donation and selection of nutritious foods. This program is intended to support our Hunger Relief Partners in categorizing food offerings for neighbors and to help neighbors choose nutritious food for them and their families that ultimately help reduce risk of developing diet-associated chronic diseases. It is a simple traffic-light model with intuitive labels and easy communication to inform folks of the nutrient density of foods. Join us at the February Regional Partner Town Hall meetings (dates listed above) for more information about this program and how you can bring SWAP to your food pantry in early 2025. Contact Food Bank of the Rockies Nutrition Manager, Jennie Kim, with any questions at jkim@foodbankrockies.org.
Culturally Responsive Food Initiative Update
The Culturally Responsive Team is excited to share information on a new learning opportunity available to our Hunger Relief Partners: The Community Food Preference Learning Path. Our team will support you in completing a food preference survey with your neighbors to better understand the unique preferences and dietary needs of your community, and you will receive $1,000 in food credits to respond to the insights gained.
Applications are now open! Watch the video below to learn more. Please reach out to crfi@foodbankrockies.org with any questions.
2025 Cultural Holiday Calendar is published!
View the 2025 cultural holiday calendar here. We publish a yearly Holiday Calendar that includes the major holidays for the common cultures within our communities, including suggested foods and common dishes as well as considerations for quantity and timing to enable your support of your neighbors’ celebrations and observances in 2025.
Partner Highlight
The Other Side Academy
The Other Side Academy (TOSA), partnering with Food Bank of the Rockies since 2019, is a nonprofit organization with locations in Denver and Salt Lake City. Dedicated to helping individuals recover from addiction, homelessness, and incarceration, it operates as a long-term, residential self-help program based on a unique, peer-driven model. The academy’s approach focuses on personal accountability, life-skills development, and the building of a supportive community. Participants — often individuals who have faced repeated cycles of addiction and criminal behavior — are encouraged to take responsibility for their past actions and work toward positive, lasting change through hard work, structure, and mutual support. TOSA’s model is centered on the idea that individuals can transform their lives by learning from one another in an environment where honesty, respect, and commitment to personal growth are paramount. With a focus on both emotional and practical skills, the academy aims to equip participants with the tools necessary to reintegrate successfully into society. To learn more, visit www.theothersideacademy.com.
Neighbor Resources
The DHS Navigator Training Series – Dates Announced
Learn about more resources for neighbors in your community by attending the DHS Navigator Training Series:
- Module 1: Family and Adult Assistance, Child Support Services
- Module 2: Economic Resilience
- Module 3: Prevention and Protection, Outreach, Resource Engagement, Special Projects
- Module 4: Operations
Dates available January through March. Trainings are virtual and free. Advance registration is required – view dates and sign up here: DHS Navigator Training.
Utility Bill Help Program
Stay warm this winter with the Utility Bill Help program. Facing escalating costs for basics like rent or mortgage payments, groceries, and other services, older Coloradans should know about the Utility Bill Help (UBH) program. Find more information in this link: https://states.aarp.org/colorado/stay-warm-this-winter-with-the-utility-bill-help-program
