Making the Holidays Shine for our Clients
To our Partners,
Once summer transitions to fall, it seems like the year flies by before our eyes. Autumn decorations have gone up, and soon enough we’ll be seeing twinkling lights illuminating our streets as the holiday season quickly approaches.
This time of year always makes me feel especially grateful. I am thankful for my family and friends, who always keep me going. And I’m grateful for this work and all of you, for all of your efforts and passion to feed and support our communities.
Food plays a crucial role in holidays as it quite literally is the “center of the plate.” We revolve our traditions around food; it brings families and friends together and it defines many holidays. When you think of Thanksgiving, many think of turkey and mashed potatoes. For some, Christmas makes you think of ham. For others, it’s tamales. So many cultures and holidays are defined by food, and we want to make sure we can provide what our communities need to make the holidays shine.
Right now, we have many staple items for the traditional Thanksgiving spread, including whole turkeys, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, stuffing, and more. By November you can expect some Navidad items, too, like dried chilies, corn husks, masa, spices, and pork. Our sourcing team and Culturally Responsive Food Initiative team work closely together to make sure we are doing our best to support all families and communities and their right to celebrate holidays in their own way.
Thank you for your partnership.
Hannah Moore
Non-Perishable Food Sourcing Lead
Please keep an eye out for these items on Partner Express and reach out to our Partner Support teams with any questions you may have about the holidays at partnersupport@foodbankrockies.org.
Important Dates
- Tuesday, November 8 – Partner Shopper Orientation at 10:00 a.m.
- Saturday, November 12- Open 9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
- Thursday, November 17 – Partner Shopper Orientation at 1:00 p.m.
- Thursday, November 24 and Friday, November 25 – Closed all day for the Holiday
- Wednesday, November 30 – Closed at 12:00 p.m.
View our November calendar.
For a full schedule of our important dates, check our annual calendar here.
Advocacy/Policy Updates
Feeding Colorado Continues to Welcome Legislators to Food Banks and Food Pantries
In September, 12 food banks and food pantries around Colorado hosted state legislators for tours and site visits. Thank you to all the partner agencies who hosted these visits and took the time to advocate for people facing hunger in their communities! Our gratitude also goes out to the members of the General Assembly who took the time to visit emergency food providers in their districts and see the important services our network provides. These visits will continue throughout October.
White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health
On September 29, 2022, the White House hosted the Conference on Health, Hunger, and Nutrition for the first time in over 50 years. Prior to the event, the Biden-Harris administration released a National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, which can be read here. This event is meant to be a launching point to meet the administration’s goal of ending hunger in America by 2030. We hope to share more updates as new policies are discussed and commitments by national stakeholders are made.
Make Your Voice Heard on Election Day, November 8!
If you are not registered to vote, you can register through election day in Colorado. However, you should plan to register early if you want to vote by mail. For questions about voting, including questions about voter registration, visit: sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/FAQs/VoterRegistrationFAQ.html
Check out the website below to find information about what ballot initiatives will be up for a vote this year: leg.colorado.gov/content/initiatives/initiatives-blue-book-overview/ballot-information-booklet-blue-book
Program Updates
Thank you to all Partners who have diligently updated their Non-Discrimination Statement (NDS) on their website and promotional materials. If you have not done so, we encourage you to create a link that redirects to the NDS on the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) website as this will always be up to date. Please also remember to begin using the updated TEFAP Eligibility applications.
cdhs.colorado.gov/benefits-assistance/food-assistance/food-distribution-programs
Our Partner Reviews are in full swing. If you receive an email request from our team, please work with them to prepare. We are here for you! If you have any questions about TEFAP or EverGreen Box™ programming, please reach out to Britni Stupin, bstupin@foodbankrockies.org or your EverGreen Box™Government Program Representative.
Food for Kids Update
Food Bank of the Rockies is currently accepting applications for the 2022‒2023 Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), which provides meals to kids after school. The program offers an assortment of nutritious food for qualified neighborhoods and programs; organizations in areas where 50% or more of school children qualify for free or reduced price lunches may be qualified to participate. If you meet this criterion and your site provides after-school activities and programs to kids 18 years of age or younger, please consider providing kids a meal though CACFP. We can also work with locations where kids have a four-day school week.
Partners have the option of choosing between fresh or shelf-stable meals. As a sponsor of this program, Food Bank of the Rockies provides the food and administrative support at no cost to partners. Interested partners need to complete an application; training will be provided by Food Bank of the Rockies.
For questions, contact Kodi Phelps at 303-375-5868 or kphelps@foodbankrockies.org.
New Staffing Announcements
Food for Kids Representative
Welcome to Cristina Herrada Gallegos (she/her), our new Food for Kids Representative working out of our 45th Avenue location! When asked what fruit or vegetable she thinks she would be, Cristina said corn because it is so versatile and everyone loves corn. Seeing her favorite band Tegan and Sara live in her hometown of Vancouver was a bucket-list item. Her favorite vacation spot is Puerto Rico and if she could have a conversation with a famous person, dead or alive, she would love to speak to one of her favorite artists, Salvador Dalí. Cristina, we are delighted to have you on board!
Food for Kids Totes of Hope™™ Representative
Welcome Matthew Dart (he/him/his), our new Food for Kids Totes of Hope™ Representative working out of our 45th Avenue location! Matt lives with Boaz, his three-legged cat, and seeing a glacier in Alaska was a bucket-list item. Matt would love to visit Austria and, when asked if he could have a conversation with a famous person, dead or alive, said he’d love to talk to Steve Irwin. Matt, we are excited to welcome you to our team!
New Nutrition Page
Visit our new Nutrition Page to learn more about our commitment to connecting neighbors with quality, nutritious foods! Bookmark our recipe library for quick access to a growing collection of simple, nutritious, and culturally diverse recipes. Toggle between English and Spanish, or tap our print-friendly button for easy sharing. To submit recipe suggestions or other inquiries, email nutrition@foodbankrockies.org.
Research & Evaluation Updates
The Community Insights (LInk2Feed) team has experienced several exciting changes during the month of September! The team has now moved into the Food Bank’s Research & Evaluation department, recognizing the importance of Link2Feed to learning more about our neighbors experiencing hunger.
We’ve also brought on an entirely new team to support the initiative. Anna Lisa Ferrante, previously the Culturally Responsive Food Representative, has taken over for Zia O’Neill as the Community Insights Supervisor. Anna Lisa has previous experience administering Link2Feed for another food bank and is looking forward to increasing the insights we can gain through our partner agencies. February Hall is the new Community Insights Representative, bringing with them experience in evaluation and community health programming.
We appreciate your patience as we move through this period of transition. Please note that we’ve temporarily suspended all Link2Feed trainings, onboardings, and non-urgent requests for support for the time being. If you require emergency assistance, you can reach the Community Insights team at L2F@foodbankrockies.org.
Partner Highlight
Bennett Community Food Bank has been a partner of Food Bank of the Rockies since 2003 and their lead, Flora Goodnight, has been working with us for over 20 years. While things have changed, their dedication to ensuring that their community on the I-70 corridor has access to nourishing food has not. Flora is especially proud of the volunteers who make their work possible. At Bennett Community Food Bank, they focus on treating people with respect and kindness, making sure to listen to what they have to say. Their commitment and consistency have allowed them to thrive and better serve their community.
Partner Resource
Thank you to everyone who joined our last Partner Town Hall on September 22! You can view the recording here. Passcode: YX^$0**H
If you wish to share any additional feedback regarding your partnership with Food Bank of the Rockies, please contact Maria Esparza at mesparza@foodbankrockies.org
The next Town Hall will be on Thursday, December 22. If you wish to share a topic or would like to be a presenter, please contact Maria Esparza at mesparza@foodbankrockies.org
Client Resource
SNAP recipients can get into local museums for $1–2
Families who receive SNAP benefits are eligible to get the Explorer Pass, which offers big discounts to places like the Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus, Butterfly Pavilion, Denver Museum of Nature & Science, and more! To use the Explorer Pass, show your EBT card when buying tickets. Some places require reservations. Download and share this flyer with clients for more information.
Provide SNAP Application Assistance at Your Next Food Distribution
Did you know that Food Bank of the Rockies provides SNAP application assistance with two full-time bilingual staff members? Application assistance is available in person or by phone. If your organization would be interested in hosting one of our SNAP Outreach Representatives at your food distribution or special event, please contact Sam and Silvia at fbrsnap@foodbankrockies.org or 303-375-5851.
Open Position Spotlight
Join Food Bank of the Rockies’ fabulous team working toward our mission to ignite the power of community to nourish people facing hunger. Here are a couple of the positions we have open at this time.
Culturally Responsive Food Initiative Representative
The Culturally Responsive Food Initiative Representative will focus on collecting feedback from food pantry users from a wide range of cultural backgrounds as well as collecting feedback from our food pantry partners, community organizations, and state, local, and partner databases. This role will help identify trends and coordinate responses such as developing recommended food lists and educational material as well as coordinating with internal staff to facilitate culturally responsive practices.
Partner Support Representative
The Partner Support Representative is a primary point of contact for many of you, our important Hunger Relief Partners. This internal position is responsible for supporting Partners with daily operations including training, placing orders, conducting partner reviews, and overseeing general program compliance. This role actively engages with all existing partner agencies to review, update, and maintain program files and documentation. For more information or additional details please visit: https://www.foodbankrockies.org/about/join-our-team/
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
