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, and Happy New Year!
With gratitude,
Ashley Newell
Director of Programs
anewell@foodbankrockies.org
Our Data Promise and Policy
Our Impact and Programs teams are currently reviewing the minimum data requirements and retention guidelines across all programs. This will help ensure we gather the necessary information from our neighbors to make data-driven decisions in line 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 make note of our new hours for pick-up and shopping at our Fresh Food Center, starting January 1, 2025 :
- Monday : Closed
- Tuesday : 8:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
- Wednesday: 8:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
- Thursday: 8:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
- Friday : 8:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.
*Fresh Food Center is closed daily between 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m. for a lunch break
If you have any questions, please contact Jill Davis at jilldavis@foodbankrockies.org. For our full, detailed calendars, please click here. (please make sure the WS versions come from this link)
Feeding Colorado Advocacy/Policy Update
Get involved!
You can make a difference by speaking up and speaking out against hunger and its root causes. Are you interested in getting more involved in advocacy? Fill out this form to learn more and get involved! https://forms.office.com/r/2sauRbHR0n
Colorado Delegation
Our members of the U.S. House of Representatives following the 2024 election are:
- District 1: Diana DeGette
- District 2: Joe Neguse
- District 3: Jeff Hurd
- District 4: Lauren Boebert
- District 5: Jeff Crank
- District 6: Jason Crow
- District 7: Brittany Pettersen
- District 8: Gabe Evans
We will be working with the new members of Congress to advocate for strong nutrition programs and will be providing them with education on our network and priorities once they are sworn into office in January. You can find your district here.
Farm Bill
Feeding Colorado continues to engage with our congressional delegation to promote the network’s priorities in the farm bill. As the lame duck session wraps up, Feeding Colorado is working closely with national partners to flag concerns and opportunities for the Colorado delegation.
Click this link for more information from Feeding America.
Click here to see our press statements about recent versions of the farm bill from the House and Senate Agriculture Committees.
Feeding Colorado Presentations
Would you like to have Feeding Colorado staff present to your agency or local coalition on our role, state priorities, and how to get involved? If so, please reach out to Mandy Nuku at mnuku@feedingcolorado.org to schedule.
Program Updates
New Find Food Resource Map Coming Soon!
Exciting news: We will introduce our brand-new online Find Food Map, powered by Vivery technology, this month! With this new interactive map, finding food resources in our community will be as easy as just a few clicks. Neighbors can discover nearby food pantries and essential services, all tailored to their unique needs. Stay tuned for future communications which will include access by our partners to add their specific information to the map.
SAVE THE DATE – 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. 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.
- Mountain Partner Town Hall – May 14, 2025, at 12:00 p.m.
- Western Slope Partner Town Hall – May 21, 2025, at 12:00 p.m.
Government Programs
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.
Wednesday, January 15
Join by Zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85893311642?pwd=CoGatUWqappjkddTKiGbFfWGV1wFT1.1
- Meeting ID: 858 9331 1642
- Passcode: 478236
TEFAP Training Refresher
Has your organization had recent turnovers? Do you think your team would benefit from an in-depth TEFAP refresher session? If so, please contact Vic Derington at vderington@foodbankrockies.org to set up a visit. We are more than happy to stop by!
Food for Kids Update
Holiday Closures
A reminder for the new year, please make sure that the Food for Kids Team is aware of any upcoming closures that will impact meal service or Totes of Hope™ order delivery.
- For CACFP sites, we need at least 48 business hours’ notice.
- For Totes of Hope™ sites, we need at least two weeks’ notice.
All updates can be emailed to FFK@foodbankrockies.org. Failure to notify the Food for Kids Team within the required time frames could result in a disruption to service at your location.
With your help and communication, we can significantly reduce food waste, delivery and gas costs, and staff time. This saves thousands of dollars annually and ensures we can continue providing nutritious food to children and families in need.
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 Survey Learning Path. This survey enables partners to better understand the unique preferences of their pantry users.
Applications are now open! Watch the video below to learn more. Please reach out to crfi@foodbankrockies.org with any questions.
Staff Highlight: Meet Tatianna Popovich
Food Bank of the Rockies Western Slope is thrilled to introduce Tatianna Popovich, Community Relations Coordinator, a proud fifth-generation Coloradan from Leadville. After growing up in the heart of the Rockies, Tatianna moved to Grand Junction about seven years ago to attend Colorado Mesa University, and she’s made the Grand Valley her home ever since.
Tatianna brings a rich and diverse background to our team, with experience working at the Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra, The Daily Sentinel, and City Market. Her passions for animals and food shine through in everything she does. At home, Tatianna’s life is full of furry and scaly friends, including her two cats, Lady and Archimedes, and two leopard geckos, Toothless and Lello.
When she’s not hard at work, you might find Tatianna crocheting, reading, cooking, or tending to her garden. An adventurous spirit, she loves to travel and experience the foods and cultures of new places. Her current culinary obsession? Asian cuisine — she’s a big fan of hot pot and sushi!
Tatianna’s decision to join Food Bank of the Rockies was rooted in her own childhood in a small, close-knit community where food brought people together. “All of my favorite memories center around food and the sense of connection it creates. I felt that same spirit here at Food Bank of the Rockies,” she shared.
We’re so lucky to have Tatianna’s heart and talents as part of our mission to nourish communities across the Western Slope. Be sure to say hello and ask her about her geckos or favorite recipes the next time you see her!
Looking Ahead Together: Welcoming 2025 with Gratitude and Resilience
As we step into the new year, it’s a perfect time to reflect on the shared experiences that connect us as partners in hunger relief. At Food Bank of the Rockies, we understand firsthand the challenges and joys that come with direct service. Like you, we stand face-to-face with neighbors experiencing food insecurity — listening to their stories, celebrating their victories, and sharing in their struggles.
Our Mobile Pantry Team, led by the dedicated and tenacious Kaila Green, facilitates three weekly and nine monthly mobile pantries across the Western Slope, collectively serving approximately 4,000 households every month. Each mobile pantry distribution begins with the rumble of a semi pulling into a parking lot, loaded with pallets of food. From there, our team and volunteers spring into action — organizing, bagging, and distributing items like dry goods, frozen protein, fresh produce, Food Rescue items, and even diapers and wipes. These moments are the heart of our mission: ensuring families receive the nourishment they need with dignity while fostering connection.
Yet, as many of you know, the work doesn’t come without its difficulties. Balancing resources — what we can afford to purchase, store, and distribute — is a constant juggling act. Our team experiences the full spectrum of emotions: pride when a pantry runs smoothly, joy in seeing a neighbor’s relief, compassion for the folks we wish we could do even more for, and empathy fatigue from carrying so many heavy stories. But we know we’re not alone — you, our partners, face these same challenges. We see your efforts, your determination, and the resilience you bring to your communities every single day.
Through our Mobile Pantry Program, we’re privileged to meet neighbors from diverse cultures, build relationships, and even share in their
hospitality. It’s not uncommon for communities to welcome us with home-cooked treats, a beautiful reminder of the generosity that exists even in the midst of hardship. These moments of joy and connection remind us why we do what we do and why it matters so much.
As we look to 2025, we anticipate the potential for significant changes. With change comes opportunity — and, yes, challenges — but we’re ready to embrace them together. This new year is a chance to lean into one another and to listen, adapt, and support each other in new ways. We remain committed to walking alongside you in supporting our neighbors.
No matter the uncertainties ahead, one thing is clear: we are stronger together. You are not just part of our network — you are part of our team. In 2025, let’s continue to find strength in our shared mission, hope in our neighbors’ resilience, and joy in the small moments that remind us why we do this work. Together, we will keep our doors and hearts open to all.
Here’s to a new year of service, partnership, and possibility. All are welcome, and all are needed. Let’s make it a great one!
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This institution is an equal opportunity provider. Click here for full USDA non-discrimination statement.
