Dear Hunger Relief Partners,
My name is Christy Johnson, and I am excited to introduce myself as the new Regional Engagement Lead! I will lead the Regional Engagement Team to facilitate and create meaningful collaborations to support our partners’ capacity and best serve our neighbors.
I have 15 years of experience in marketing, promotional work, event planning, public relations, customer service, and sales. My favorite part of having all those different roles was developing connections, building strong relationships, and uniting people. I truly believe that everyone who you connect with should come away from that experience better off and that kindness can be life changing. I’m absolutely thrilled to have this opportunity with Food Bank of the Rockies and look forward to meeting all of you to learn how I can help support you.
My role at Food Bank of the Rockies is to be knowledgeable about all of our different programs and using that knowledge to help guide you through the ins and outs of being a partner. I will also be out in the community gathering additional resources for the Food Bank and you all and, most importantly, being a support to our partners. My areas of focus will be the Denver metro and Clear Creek areas.
This winter, I am wishing you and your loved one’s peace, health, happiness, and prosperity. I’m looking forward to meeting you this year!
For resources on upcoming holidays and their corresponding culturally responsive foods, please see our Culturally Responsive Food Initiative Team’s guide, linked here: Holiday Cultural Foods.
Kindly,
Christy Johnson
Regional Engagement Lead
Important Dates
- February 6 – Orientation at 10:00 a.m.
- February 10 – Partner Support: Open Saturday 9:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m.
- February 22 – Orientation at 1:00 p.m.
- February 29 – Food Bank of the Rockies is closing early. Pick-ups and Fresh Food Center available 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.
Advocacy/Policy Update
Farm Bill
The current Farm Bill expired on October 1, 2023. Nutrition programs like SNAP, Everyday Eats, and TEFAP are on autopilot until a new bill is passed. Check out Feeding America’s Farm Bill Legislation Watch Page, which includes our network’s Farm Bill priorities, fast facts, and an overview of this important legislation. Feeding Colorado continues to engage with our Congressional Delegation to promote the network’s priorities in the Farm Bill.
Check out Feeding America’s new Farm Bill videos here; feel free to share on your social media pages for educational purposes!
Food Bank of the Rockies will continue to monitor the situation as it unfolds and will provide timely updates to our partners as it relates to government programs like Everyday Eats and TEFAP as well as other effects of this potential shutdown that may cause an increase in need by neighbors in your communities.
State Session
The Colorado 2024 State Session convened on January 10, 2024. You can find our state policy priorities, designed to guide our actions and position for this year’s session, here on our website. We are excited to find solutions to hunger and work with our state legislators to support our network and communities we serve.
Get Involved
Are you interested in sharing why you care about nourishing our neighbors with members of the Colorado legislature? Email Sarah Mason at Feeding Colorado (sgregory@feedingcolorado.org) to learn more about opportunities to engage in public policy work!
Program Updates
Regional Partner Town Hall Meeting – Join Us
Please join us for the upcoming Regional Partner Town Hall meetings starting this month. We look forward to this opportunity to hear from you about what you are experiencing in your communities, what changes you are experiencing in your food distributions, and how Food Bank of the Rockies can support you. These meetings are designed to help you connect with your peers. Food Bank of the Rockies staff will be attending to share updates on the Colorado Emergency Fund (CEF) program, review training opportunities, and share about what the newly formed Programs Innovation Team is working on to improve partner experiences.
Emails with the invite and Zoom link have been shared with partners for the following dates:
- Eastern County Partners – January 16 at 9:30 a.m.
- Metro County Partners – January 24 at 9:30 a.m.
- Mountain County Partners – February 6 at 12:00 p.m.
If you did not receive the invitation to the meeting or have any questions, please contact Chris Taylor at christaylor@foodbankrockies.org or 303-375-5830.
Partner Support
Purchased Foods for Lunar New Year
2024 – Year of the Dragon: View Flyer
Find these items on Partner Express by searching “Culturally Responsive” in the description!
- Ground Pork
- Jasmine Rice
- Long Grain White Rice
- Banana Leaves
- Peanuts
- Cashews
- Dried Dates
- Dried Fruits
- Canned Pineapple
- Sunflower Seeds
Colorado Emergency Funds (CEF) – Get Your Free Food Today!
We are eight months into making food items available to partners at no cost through Colorado Emergency Funds (CEF) and are so excited about everything we’ve done together in utilizing the $5.4 million in CEF received at the end of May! We continue to procure food items based on feedback received from our partners in the Partner Network meetings held last spring.
Thanks to the input from partners:
- 83 items have been made available
- 3,658,604 lbs. of CEF product have been distributed to our neighbors
- 424 partners have participated in the CEF program
Have you been ordering your allocation of free items? Partners should search Agency Express for items labeled as CEF when placing orders. These are items available to our partners at no fee. To ensure equitable access for our neighbors, we will limit the amount of CEF free products each organization can order. When you see the CEF items on the shopping list, the quantity you see is YOUR allocation. Don’t miss out – order it up! We will continue to make products available until funding is expended or through June 30, 2024. Please contact Partner Support with any questions about the CEF ordering process or the items available: partnersupport@foodbankrockies.org
Government Programs
EverGreen Boxes™ Transitioning to Everyday Eats
Moving forward, Food Bank of the Rockies and our Hunger Relief Partners will transition from referring to the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) as EverGreen Boxes™ to using the name Everyday Eats. No other changes will occur to the program aside from the name change. If you have any questions about this change, please contact Britni Stupin: bstupin@foodbankrockies.org
We are excited to see how we can improve this program in 2024 and are inviting partners participating in this program to join us for a 2023 recap of our accomplishments. Please join us for this chance to recognize our successes, discuss our opportunities, and collaborate as a network. Upcoming meeting date is:
- Thursday, January 25, from 2:00 p.m.-3:30 p.m.
- (Zoom) https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88391412535?pwd=kcsO1tzCikHywbpQhXyl9be7OxH9mt.1
- Meeting ID: 883 9141 2535
- Passcode: 119964
Please contact Britni Stupin to add any discussion items to the meeting agenda: bstupin@foodbankrockies.org.
We look forward to seeing you!
Food for Kids Update
Totes of Hope™ Partners – Be on the lookout for upcoming communication from the Food for Kids Team about Town Hall meeting dates and links. We want to hear how your programs are going as well as share any relevant updates we may have. As always, please email FFK@foodbankrockies.org if you have any cancellations, changes to your order, or questions.
Link2Feed Updates
Are you a Link2Feed user that needs: Barcode cards? Technical support? Answers to other questions? Contact the Community Data Team directly via email or voicemail line: L2F@foodbankrockies.org OR 720-370-5362.
Ordering barcode cards? Barcode cards are available for pick-up at our Denver (45th Avenue) and Grand Junction distribution centers, delivery (Partner Express orders only), or by mail. Please allow a minimum of 48 hours (about two business days) to process your request.
Need technical support? We strive to return support requests within 24 hours. Please describe your issue in detail and, if possible, provide screenshots and/or video of the problem.
Partner Highlight
Denver Public Schools Community Resource
We are excited to highlight one of our newest Totes of Hope™ partners, DPS Community Hubs!
DPS Community Hubs address a holistic approach to student learning through programs and services that support the social, emotional, physical, academic, and basic needs of families. DPS works with each identified community to build out the services most aligned to their needs.
DPS Community Hubs is dedicated to promoting equity and inclusion in their communities. They believe that everyone should have equal access to opportunities, resources, and support, regardless of their background. DPS Community Hubs celebrate diversity while addressing the unique needs of community members. To ensure inclusivity, DPS works to remove barriers and make their programs accessible. They provide physical accessibility, language accommodations, and support for diverse learning styles and abilities. They also value representation and empower individuals from marginalized groups to participate and lead in their programs. Everyone should have a voice and contribute to the community hubs’ success.
Currently the hubs empower families through classes such as ESL, Spanish language, GED in English and Spanish, citizenship, computer, finances, and Play and Learn for families with small children. The hubs also provide 1:1 assistance for workforce development and basic needs support such as clothing, food, toiletries, and more.
The DPS Community Hubs prioritize families of Denver Public Schools and the Denver community in general.
Locations and more information can be found on their website: dpsk12.org/community-hubs
Open Position Spotlight
We are hiring a Food Rescue Partnerships Manager!
The Food Rescue Partnerships Manager leads organizational strategy for identifying, engaging, and cultivating non-retail food donor partners, resulting in increased donations and deeper connectivity to Food Bank of the Rockies. Non-retail food donors currently deliver 19MM pounds of donated food annually, with a dollar value of $36MM. This high-visibility role will work closely with the Food Rescue Team, programs department, and Hunger Relief Partners.
We value diversity and inclusivity and are thus always looking to diversify our staff with an eye toward race and ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, and age, among other areas. Candidates who bring such diversity are encouraged to apply.
For full job postings and to see all opportunities with Food Bank of Rockies, please visit foodbankrockies.org/about/join-our-team.
Food Bank of the Rockies is an equal opportunity employer and offers paid time off, health, dental, and 401(k) benefits.
Neighbor Resources
Free Work Readiness for SNAP Recipients
SNAP2Jobs can help neighbors enrolled in SNAP benefits get ahead. SNAP2Jobs help people take control of their future by providing:
- Free work-readiness training
- Pathways to professional certifications
- 1:1 success coaching
Are you interested in a commercial driver’s license and a very good paying local driving career? We can help. Are you interested in a healthcare career? We can help. Are you interested in the trades HVAC, electrician, or construction? We can help.
More than 91 people have found a better job and career in only 18 months via SNAP2Jobs.org. It’s free. Classes start today. Visit SNAP2Jobs.org to find out more.
View Flyers:
