Hello Hunger Relief Partners,
Let’s talk about the not-so-secret elephant in the room: food cost inflation. This topic isn’t fun, but it is extremely prevalent in our line of work. Food costs increased by an average of 11% for consumers in 2022, while 20 years before, it averaged 2%. In 2023, the forecast for food cost inflation is less than the prior year, but it will not be back to 2%, nor is anyone expecting that any time soon.
These numbers and this reality are scary as USDA commodities decrease and emergency SNAP benefits have ended. It is an obstacle that the Food Bank of the Rockies’ Sourcing team has been working hard to fight by working more closely with our donors, expanding our variety of purchased goods, and honing in on opportunities to make sure the purchased foods we procure are available at a better cost than market value.
There is good news, though! Over the years, we have secured multiple grants specifically for food sourcing that have given us many opportunities. These opportunities have let us:
- Greatly expand our Grocery Rescue program, especially in our rural neighborhoods.
- Purchase more produce than ever before and ensure 100% of our produce is distributed at zero cost.
- Continue to distribute all donated foods with no handling cost.
- Distribute food credits to offset the cost of purchased food.
And thanks to the Colorado Emergency Funds, we can distribute purchased non-produce staples at zero cost and will continue to do so through FY24.
Food cost inflation is a global-wide issue with so many factors that are out of our control. But thanks to the many members of our organization, and our amazing partners like you, we can stay in the fight to make sure the needs of our neighbors are met.
Thank you for your partnership.
Hannah Moore
Non-Perishable Food Sourcing Lead
Important Dates
- August 1 – Orientation at 10:00 a.m.
- August 12 – Partner Support open 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
- August 17 – Orientation at 1:00 p.m.
- August 31 – Food Bank of the Rockies will be closing early. Food pick-ups and Fresh Food Center until 11:00 a.m. Orders accepted for September 5 until 3:00 p.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 Watch
The Farm Bill is due to be reauthorized later this year. 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!
Get Involved!
Are you interested in sharing why you care about fighting hunger with members of the Colorado legislature? Email Sarah Gregory at Feeding Colorado (sgregory@feedingcolorado.org) to learn more about opportunities to engage in public policy work!
Program Updates
Important Annual Training Announcement – Complete by August 31
Food Bank of the Rockies requires all partners to complete the Food Safety and Civil Rights training annually. These training sessions help to ensure that families facing hunger receive only nutritious, safe-to-consume food (Food Safety) and that each food distribution is fair and equitable throughout our communities (Civil Rights). We are pleased to announce that these courses are now available in Spanish.
Courses must be completed by at least one representative from your organization. Any partner who has taken the course on or after April 1, 2023, will be compliant for this year.
TEFAP and Everyday Eats Partners – If you’re a partner implementing TEFAP or EverGreen Boxes ™, a program of Everyday Eats, all site staff and volunteers who help determine participant eligibility must complete the Civil Rights training to ensure equitable food distributions.
Visit the Partner Portal for more information and instructions on how to access the training: https://www.foodbankrockies.org/partner-portal/partner-training/
If the Food Safety and Civil Rights courses are not completed by August 31, partner accounts will be put on hold, and you will be unable to order or receive food until these compliance measures are completed.
We are here to support you! If you do not have an online training account, need a password reset or onsite assistance, or have questions about these courses, please contact Partner Support at partnersupport@foodbankrockies.org.
Partner Support
Reminder: Colorado Emergency Funds (CEF) – Free Food Items Available to Partners
Partners should search Agency Express for items labeled as CEF when placing orders. Based on the feedback we received during our Partner Network sessions in May, these are items offered to our partners at no fee that Food Bank of the Rockies is purchasing with the $5.4 million in CEF. To ensure equitable access for our neighbors, we will limit the amount of CEF free products each organization can order. We will continue to make products available until funding is spent or through June 30, 2024.
To search, type CEF in the description field and click SEARCH.
If you have any questions about ordering these items, please contact our Partner Support team at partnersupport@foodbankrockies.org.
Government Programs
Training Recording Available
Thank you all so much for joining us for our EverGreen Boxes ™, a program of Everyday Eats, quarterly training. We truly appreciated the turnout and all of your engaging questions. For those who missed it, we welcome you to watch the recording and review our presentation slides. We participated in a robust discussion around navigating waitlist procedures, including why a waitlist is beneficial, best practices for establishing a waitlist, and certification guidelines. Our goal is to continue increasing participation in this program so we can better support our partners and neighbors. We look forward to continuing to share best practices, opportunities, and solutions with you all. Please share any questions or feedback with Britni Stupin at bstupin@foodbankrockies.org .
Food for Kids Update
Free Meal Finder – Summer 2023
No Kid Hungry’s free, bilingual meal finder service has now expanded to WhatsApp! Text “FOOD” or “COMIDA” to 304-304 or visit NoKidHungry.org/WhatsApp to find locations in your neighborhood serving free meals. They also have a Summer Meals Outreach Toolkit full of videos, social media graphics, and other resources to help you spread the word.
Please share this amazing resource with your families, neighbors, or other organizations working to reduce childhood hunger.
Final Days to Apply for Summer Food Service Program
Don’t miss the final days to apply for the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) under Food Bank of the Rockies’ sponsorship. Organizations that have kids attending programs during the summer and are in an area where 50% or more children are eligible for free or reduced lunch may be eligible to provide up to two meals a day over the summer. You’ll find the application on our Partner Portal under Partner Forms & Documents and select the Food for Kids dropdown menu.
Any questions regarding qualifications or the application process can be directed to our Food for Kids email at FFK@foodbankrockies.org.
Nutrition Update
New Recipes Perfect for Summer
What easier way to bring neighbors and friends together than around a tasty dip to dunk or scoop? At your next summer distribution, try setting out recipe cards for Avocado Black Bean Salsa, Confetti Corn Dip, or Pinto Bean Dip alongside cans of black beans, corn, or pinto beans. Add tortilla chips, crackers, or fresh vegetables for a well-rounded bundle.
To access these printable recipes and others in Spanish, click “Español” in the top right corner of our growing recipe library.
New Program Staffing Announcements
Food Bank of the Rockies Welcomes a New Executive Chef
Please join us in welcoming Jon Knight as our new Executive Chef! Jon’s favorite fruit is the Calamansi, also referred to as a Philippine lemon/lime. If he had to eat the same food every day, it would be pork (in any variation) or peanut butter. Jon loves vacationing by the ocean or anywhere near water and has three dogs. He also competes in martial arts and other sports and musical competitions. If Jon could sit down to chat with anyone famous, he would choose Caligula because it would be the craziest talk of his life while also getting to eat and drive like a Roman emperor. We are excited to have you on the team, Jon! (insert photo: Jonathan knight)
Partner Highlight
SECORCares
SECORCares is an extensive and dedicated organization in Douglas County with humble beginnings. In the 1990s, SECOR (South East Community Outreach) began as a Christmas Outreach program from the Southeast Christian Church in Parker, CO, offering food and gifts to those who might not otherwise have a Christmas. From there, it grew into a year-round outreach program for families experiencing food insecurity. In 2006, SECORCares became its own entity, an official 501C3 non-profit, and expanded its offerings and reach, allowing the Free Food Market to take shape as a real market.
The Free Food Market is a grocery-style experience where neighbors in Arapahoe, Douglas, and Elbert Counties struggling with food insecurity can shop for food in an extensive client-choice model. Their Free Food Market is open Wednesday and Thursday, 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 9:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m., allowing guests to shop for enough food to last 10-14 days on average.
In our experience, client choice models tend to make neighbors feel more dignified in getting food and reduce the amount of food waste from undesired food products. If you want to learn more about client choice, please view Client Choice Video 1 or Client Choice Video 2.
SECORCares also offers extensive wraparound services, such as
- Community of Hope, holistic life-coaching.
- Laptop Lifeline, where folks can get restored and renewed laptops.
- Partnering with Food for Thought to give 1,700 kids a bag of food every week.
- A mobile market that operates throughout the South metro area, feeding many of the communities who struggle to get to their marketplace.
- Christmas Outreach, in which SECORCares partners with churches, agencies, and individuals to receive requests from families who need help providing gifts for approximately 1,800+ children each Christmas season.
We are proud to partner with agencies helping our neighbors achieve a holistic foundation for success. SECORCares is leading the way in innovative and effective services for folks in our communities. Thank you to everyone at SECORCares for continuing to share food, counseling, and smiles.
