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Dear Hunger Relief Partners,
It’s February, so we might find ourselves thinking about love. When we think of love, we often associate it with our family members, partners, closest friends, and even our furry companions. We go out of our way to help those we love when they are in a time of need. We buy gifts to celebrate them, console them if they are feeling down, or offer a helping hand. Through my work with SNAP Outreach, I encounter community members acting out of love as they introduce me to someone facing a time of need. These referrals have helped me connect with people that may not have gotten food assistance otherwise.
Love can have a multiplying effect, so, this February, let’s commit to fighting hunger through acts of love. Connecting community members to available resources like SNAP application assistance, mobile pantries, or any other resources can be the act of love that saves a person or a family from a difficult situation. I look forward to working with you, our partners, in continuing to extend acts of love to our communities.
If you have any questions or need help connecting community members to resources to help combat hunger, contact the SNAP Outreach Team, email fbrsnap@foodbankrockies.org or call 303-375-5851.
Russell Nylen
Rural SNAP Outreach Representative
Important Dates
- Thursday, March 3: Virtual partner orientation 10:00 a.m.
- Wednesday, March 9: Link2Feed Training 9:00 a.m.
- Saturday, March 12: Open 9:00 – 11:30 a.m.
- Thursday, March 24: Link2Feed Training 12:00 p.m.
- Thursday, March 24: Virtual partner orientation 1:00 p.m.
- Thursday, March 31: Closed at 12:00 p.m.
Please visit the March calendar for the full schedule.
For our full calendar of important dates, please refer to the 2022 calendar.
If you have any questions, please contact our Partner Support Team: partnersupport@foodbankrockies.org.
Advocacy/Policy Update
Dear Partner,
Feeding Colorado has submitted a proposal to the Colorado General Assembly for American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, and we are asking you to sign your organization on in support.
For the past few years, Food Bank of the Rockies, a member of Feeding Colorado, has immersed itself in listening and responding to community needs. Based on what we’ve heard, we have waived all food and delivery fees for the past two years and issued more than $3 million in food purchasing credits. We have improved the nutritional value of the food we provide with a focus on fresh produce and culturally responsive food. Making these shifts, responding to the increase in need, and absorbing the decrease in USDA food available to food banks means that we are spending nearly $1 million every month on food. This is triple the amount we were spending in 2019.
So that we can continue to be the best partner possible for you and for our neighbors facing food insecurity, please take a moment to sign your organization on in support of the attached letter by Friday, February 25. This will be sent to Members of the General Assembly in the coming weeks. If you have any questions, please reach out to Effie Rorke, Feeding Colorado’s Senior Director of Public Policy & Communications: erorke@feedingcolorado.org.
We could not meet the need for food assistance across our service area without your invaluable support. Your partnership is essential in getting closer to ending hunger in our communities. We appreciate your work deeply, and are excited to apply for funding to support our collaborative efforts to nourish every neighbor in need equitably — together.
With gratitude,
Erin Pulling
President & CEO
Program Updates
Seeking Client Survey Input
Food Bank of the Rockies is seeking input from Hunger Relief Partners regarding centering the client experience. If you have experience surveying your food pantry clients or are interested in collecting feedback from the communities you serve through your partnership with Food Bank of the Rockies, please contact Nicole Leary, 303-375-5867, nleary@foodbankrockies.org.
Making Improvements to Help Our Partners
Food Bank of the Rockies has been making great strides in improving processes and increasing customer service to further support our partner agencies.
Less Downtime in Agency Express: One improvement we have made through Agency Express provides less ordering system downtime:
Fewer Zeros: We have heard from partners who are seeing an increase in items ordered but not received — we call those “zeros”:
Please continue sending us your feedback to partnersupport@foodbankrockies.org.
Partner Town Hall
Mark your calendars for our next Town Hall on Thursday, February 24 at 11:00 a.m. via Zoom.
Join our discussion around community nutrition and wellness initiatives. Our staff will share updates on our nutrition policy review and nutrition education efforts, then kick off some conversation around the wellness and nutrition work being done by our Hunger Relief Partners. Come prepared to share what initiatives your organization is implementing, or what gaps in nutritious food access or education you have noticed amongst neighbors.
Meeting information:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83161260071?pwd=QkZUdTVoVVJYZHJkd1Zjb2p3NkZ5dz09
Meeting ID: 831 6126 0071
Passcode: 276870
Or by phone U.S. toll free: 877-853-5257
TEFAP Quarterly Webinar
Mark your calendars. The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) Quarterly Webinar will be held Thursday, March 11 at 11:00 a.m. Join us for programmatic updates and more.
USDA Product Information Sheets
The USDA has a comprehensive list of Product Information Sheets for all the products that are distributed through The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) and EverGreen Boxes™, a program of Everyday Eats. Each information sheet contains useful information about the nutritional value of the product, home storage recommendations, and delicious recipe ideas. The Product Information Sheets are available on the USDA website.
Here is a sample recipe available on a Product Information Sheet that you can share with clients:
Compliance Reminders
2-1-1 Colorado Update Form
The Colorado 2-1-1 phone line and webpage are fantastic resources for clients looking for additional assistance. There is now a new way to update the information for your organization so that clients can access the most accurate information. Follow these instructions to learn how to log in to the portal and update your agency’s information. To get started, visit 211colorado.org and click “Log In.”
Any updates should additionally be shared with the Food Bank of the Rockies’ Partner Support team. Please find the update form here.
New and Improved Online Training Coming Soon
Our Food Safety and Civil Rights trainings and online system will be moved to a new online platform this summer. Branding will be updated, and a Spanish version of each course will be provided as well. The new platform will have enhanced features that will track certifications from outside sources such as ServSafe Certification and CDHS Civil Rights training. Stay tuned for more details next month.
CRFI Update
The 2022 Cultural Holidays calendar is now available in the Partner Portal. Use the calendar to connect with your clients and plan ahead for food orders. The calendar highlights the most prevalent cultures within our network: Eastern Shoshone, Ethiopian, Latin American, Northern Arapaho, Russian, Somali, and Vietnamese. The holiday descriptions include suggested foods, but for a more complete list, please refer to Food Preference by Culture which is also available in the Partner Portal. Please send any questions for the Culturally Responsive Foods team to CRFI@foodbankrockies.org.
Link2Feed Tech Funds Available
Food Bank of the Rockies has funding to support partners with upgrading and purchasing new technology. The funds are specifically available for partners interested in implementing Link2Feed. Recipients of this technology must commit to training sessions and roll out Link2Feed within a timely manner of receiving the equipment.
Applications are processed on a first come, first served basis, with priority given to TEFAP partners. Maximum allotment is $3,000 per partner.
If you have any questions regarding this opportunity, please contact Zia O’Neill at 720-715-7725 or L2F@foodbankrockies.org.
Download the Capacity Building Application
New Staffing Announcements
Hannah Hurt is our new Community Insights Representative at 45th Avenue. Hannah recently moved to Colorado after a season of conservation work in Wyoming and Arizona. Prior to her conservation work, Hannah served as an AmeriCorps VISTA with a hunger-relief nonprofit in Indianapolis, Indiana, and volunteered with an urban farm focused on addressing fresh food access in the community. Hannah is excited to return to the hunger-relief sector to explore the distribution side of the work and get to know her new community here in Colorado!
Partner Highlight
Boys & Girls Clubs of America
Boys & Girls Clubs of America has been a partner with Food Bank of the Rockies since 2012.
Food Bank of the Rockies currently supports twenty Boys & Girls Club sites in the Denver metro area and on the Western Slope with fresh, unitized meals and snacks prepared in our culinary kitchen as a sponsor through the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). These clubs not only distribute our meals to hundreds of participants, but they also provide enriching after-school activities. 17,865 fresh meals were distributed to Boys & Girls Clubs in just one month last fall.
“Working with Food Bank of the Rockies has allowed us to serve the ‘whole member’ through year-round meal service. Our members are guaranteed meals daily because of the dedication Food Bank of the Rockies has to feeding the most at-need members of our community. I truly appreciate the partnership with Food Bank of the Rockies.“
– Joe Troyer, Senior Club Operations Director
“Before our partnership with Food Bank of the Rockies, we didn’t know if kids were getting any food at home. It’s an amazing feeling to know they go home with full bellies every night.”
– Jonas Dorsett, Boys & Girls Club Site Leader, Johnson Elementary
Pictured above: Boys & Girls Club participants enjoy their afternoon snack provided by Food Bank of the Rockies.
Client Resources
Home Fire Campaign
The American Red Cross of Colorado and Wyoming is proud to announce our partnership with Food Bank of the Rockies. Together, we are promoting the Home Fire Campaign program to provide home fire safety education and free smoke alarms to the community. Nationally, this program will:
- Educate 100,000+ people about home fire safety
- Work with families to create an escape plan to practice their two-minute drill
- Partner with fire departments and community organizations to install smoke alarms by appointment
To request free alarms and schedule an appointment, please visit rdcrss.org/3hwTccf or call 833-498-2092.
Download the American Red Cross of Colorado and Wyoming Flyer
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