Food Bank of the Rockies
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Food Bank of the Rockies

Dear Hunger Relief Partners,

Answering the challenge of hunger in our community means that we and our partner organizations are inextricably connected to the region we serve. The past thirteen months have presented challenges unlike any we have faced before. Yet, we at Food Bank of the Rockies remain steadfastly committed to persevering together with each of you.

We are shocked and saddened by the shootings in Atlanta and Boulder. These senseless murders are an incomprehensible horror and have hit us all the harder since we are so closely connected to our communities. Our hearts are heavy.

We mourn the loss of Daoyou Feng, Hyun Jung Grant, Suncha Kim, Paul Andre Michels, Soon Chung Park, Xiaojie Tan, Delaina Ashley Yaun, and Yong Ae Yue in Atlanta, Georgia.

And we mourn the loss of Tralona Bartkowiak, Suzanne Fountain, Teri Leiker, Kevin Mahoney, Lynn Murray, Rikki Olds, Neven Stanisic, Denny Stong, Officer Eric Talley, and Jody Waters in Boulder, Colorado.

We send their loved ones and our valued community partner, King Soopers, our heartfelt condolences.

And the recent killing of Daunte Wright in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota has left us heartbroken. Our thoughts are with his loved ones and community.

As we process the violence and continue to serve the region during the pandemic, please know that we are here for you. Take the time to nourish your mental and physical health. We could not do this work without you, and we appreciate you and all you do.

Take care and be well,

Steve Kullberg, Chief Operating Officer
Cindy Mitchell, Vice President of Programs

Food Bank of the Rockies Closures and Important Dates

There will be no Food Bank of the Rockies closures for the month of April.

Please be aware of these important dates:

  • Saturday, April 17, 9:00 a.m.—12:00 p.m.: free grocery box for older adults’ distribution
  • Thursday, April 22, 12:00 p.m.—1:30 p.m.: Link2Feed partner training
  • Saturday, May 8, 9 a.m.—12:00 p.m.: open for partner pick ups

View our 2021 Calendar for additional important dates.

SAVE THE DATE: Join Us for Our Spring Partner Town Hall Meeting on April 29

Post-COVID: Returning to a client choice model
Thursday, April 29 at 11 a.m. via Zoom

We are all looking forward to the other side of these unprecedented times. This includes providing clients a choice in what foods they select from pantries. During this town hall, you will hear from partners using this approach, and you will have the opportunity to share your ideas.

No RSVP needed; please join via the link and information below.

Zoom Town Hall Meeting Link
Meeting ID: 921 7636 5863
Passcode: 385272
Phone Option call 888.475.4499

Link2Feed Opportunity: Making the Switch

If you’ve been thinking about checking out Link2Feed but your organization is using another system to capture your client data and visit information, you may be wondering about the cost and time of making the switch. We have a grant opportunity to fund this work. Email us at l2f@foodbankrockies.org, and let’s talk about this option. See below for training and more information.

Link2Feed Training

“Link2Feed has improved our record keeping immensely. We can enter clients into the site and access many reports that help us know how we are doing, and if we are reaching people in our area. It is very easy to use. The tech support from FBR folks is tremendous! All questions are answered quickly and clearly, and we have even had people come to our food bank to train us and answer questions.”
-Mary Kennedy, Good Shepherd Food Bank

Are you still conducting all of your client intakes on paper or Excel spreadsheets? Upgrade to Link2Feed.

Link2Feed is a free online tool that has been specifically designed to meet the needs of food pantries. Food Bank of the Rockies chose Link2Feed as its preferred service insight platform due to its extensive data security measures, commitment to client dignity, confidentiality, and its licensing agreement that prevents client information from being shared or sold to third parties.

For more information on Link2Feed, please visit the Link2Feed YouTube page or email l2f@foodbankrockies.org.

RSVP to a training here.

Upcoming Training Dates:
Thursday, April 22 from 12:00 p.m.—1:30 p.m.
Wednesday, May 12 from 9:00 a.m.—10:30 a.m.

COVID-19

In order to minimize risk of exposure to staff, volunteers, and clients, we are continuing to follow preventative measures in our distribution centers and during food distributions including social distancing, wearing masks, and following other procedures to keep our community safe during this continued pandemic. We encourage our partners to do the same.

Statement on Atlanta Shootings and Violence Against Asian Americans & the BIPOC Community

We condemn the murders in Atlanta and the anti-Asian sentiments and increase in hate crimes across the country. Please read more here.

Link2Feed Volunteer

Recap of Winter Partner Survey

Thank you to all who have completed the Winter Partner Survey. We received over 275 insightful responses. We will now analyze the results, read through specific feedback, and develop a plan to better serve all partners. In the meantime, our preliminary results show the dramatic impact that the Food Bank of the Rockies’ network has had on the highest need.

Partner Survey Results 1 April

Partner Survey Results 2 April

Totes of Hope®: Menus & Fresh Produce

Food Bank of the Rockies’ Totes of Hope® program provides food to children on Fridays to create meals over the weekend with their families when school is out. Our Totes program now regularly includes breakfast items and recipes in English and Spanish. Additional languages will be supported soon. The recipes advise families how to create a meal with the contained product components.

For partners with the ability to receive and distribute, we have included fresh produce in our totes. We are currently providing 725 produce bags weekly with this pilot program and hope to expand in the near future.

We have capacity to assist more partners with totes and extending the program through the summer months. If you’re interested in learning more or would like to become a Totes of Hope® partner, visit here for more information.

To access our recipes, please visit our Partner Portal.

Totes of Hope Volunteers

Ready for Summer? Summer Food Service Program is Almost Here

Our Food for Kids team is excited to announce the release of our Summer Food Service Program application. If your organization has summer activities for kids 18 and younger and you would like to provide meals daily, please consider being one of our Summer Food Service Partners. Due to the extension of the USDA Child Nutrition Waivers, it has never been easier or more rewarding to participate in this program and provide meals to kids in need of extra nourishment over the summer when school meals are not available. Food Bank of the Rockies is assessing the ability to provide frozen meals for our rural areas in which fresh daily meal deliveries are not available. Please contact us if you would like to be considered for our frozen meal pilot. Required trainings are provided by Food Bank of the Rockies.

Organization eligibility is included on the application. If you have questions, please contact Brandy Webb at bwebb@foodbanrockies.org or 303-375-5862.

Partner Spotlight: Hunger Free Golden

Hunger Free Golden Logo

We are thrilled to share that our partners at Hunger Free Golden have been selected as the Jefferson County Public Health 2020 Public Health Champion of the Year. This award is given annually to individuals and organizations within Jefferson County who are working to combat public health challenges. This year, the award has been extended to organizations aiding the community throughout the pandemic. With the dramatic increase of people facing hunger due to COVID-19, Hunger Free Golden is a fitting recipient of the award.

Hunger Free Golden is composed of multiple organizations within Golden, many of which are Partners of Food Bank of the Rockies, that are working to identify barriers to accessing nutritious, affordable, and culturally sensitive food. Rather than just working on one aspect of the food system, Bethany Thomas from Calvary Episcopal Church explained, they take a wholistic approach. The organization can use its collective energy to boost the growing, purchasing, transportation, and distribution of food.

Prior to the start of the pandemic, Hunger Free Golden had created a Strategic Plan to address some of the largest barriers to ending food insecurity in the community. With the onset of the pandemic, they reassessed their strategic plan to better meet the needs of the time. For Bethany Thomas, keeping the local food system afloat was a crucial component of their COVID-19 Strategic Plan. Hunger Free Golden successfully proposed a new Golden Food Pantry Assistance Grant to the City of Golden that helps pantries purchase more fresh meat and poultry from local farmers. Marissa Silverberg, who nominated the organization for the award, shared that this proposal “sets a precedent for cities across Colorado regarding local policies to support a resilient food system.” Another such initiative was the BGoldN Grab-and-Go meal program, where local restaurants packed free, ready to eat breakfasts and lunches for families in need. This initiative not only helped Golden families, but provided crucial business and income for locally owned restaurants.

The coalition members include the City of Golden, GoFarm, BGoldN, Mines Greenhouse Senior Design Team, Jeffco Food Policy Council, Hunger Free Colorado, Christian Action Guild, Calvary Food Shelf, Centura Health, Shelton Elementary, Food Bank of the Rockies, and Fighting Hunger at Mines.

Congratulations to Hunger Free Golden for their terrific work in the community.

National Anti-Hunger Conference Recap

The 2021 National Anti-Hunger Policy Conference took place virtually this year from March 16-March 21. The virtual format of the conference allowed 25 Food Bank of the Rockies’ employees and many Hunger Relief Partners to participate in this year’s event. The conference’s notable speakers included Tom Vilsack, the Secretary of Agriculture; Stacy Dean, the Deputy Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services (FNCS); Jared Bernstein, a member of the White House Council of Economic Advisors; and Janie Simms Hipp, J.D., LL.M, the Chief Executive Officer of the Native American Agriculture Fund.

The conference provided insight and perspective into the work currently conducted to end hunger. Kathy Silver, the Executive Director of Food Bank of Sweetwater, was reassured to know there are others actively fighting hunger. The conference provided hope that existing government programs will better meet the needs of our population. This encouraged the Food for Kids Manager, Tami Anderson, who expressed excitement over new legislation that could pass permanent meal service flexibilities for kid’s’ meal programs.

The conference emphasized dignity, cultural responsiveness, and accessibility of food access. We need to “listen to those in need and bring their real concerns to the work we do to meet their needs,” explained Diana Cable from Colorado Health Network describing the necessary changes to our food system.

One new proposal that came from the conference is the incorporation of voter registration into food bank activities such as the SNAP application process. Russel Nylen, the SNAP Outreach Representative for the Food Bank of the Rockies, explained that this could help change the narrative from clients as inactive recipients to clients as active contributors able to push for policy change through their vote.

The focus on client dignity was especially important for Sam Maxwell, Programs Representative at Food Bank of Wyoming, who stated the conference helped her understand her own personal mission within her everyday work.

Many of the themes discussed at the conference aligned well with Food Bank of the Rockies’ Culturally Responsive Food Initiative, and attendees were encouraged by similar work taking place across the country.

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Agency Support Fees & Purchased Product Program

Food Bank of the Rockies recognizes that our prices for purchased product items have not always been competitive with big box retailers. Our sourcing team has been aggressively purchasing products requested by our partners at more competitive prices, and the underlying cost structure has been overhauled to improve value to our partners. The Purchased Product Program allows us to offer the product to our partners at a competitive cost and in convenient quantities, sharing truckload pricing with smaller purchasers. If your organization needs a product, we are currently not offering, please contact partnerfbr.convio.net.

Additionally, the Culturally Responsive Food Initiative is making a concerted effort to purchase a variety of food items that align with the diversity of food preferences within our service area. To learn more about culturally responsive and Colorado-sourced items now available on Agency Express, see below.

Culturally Responsive Food Lists

One of the main differentiators in food preference is culture. Clients from different cultures may value different flavor profiles in their cuisine. To help our partners customize their food orders to reflect their community, we have developed suggested food lists by culture. Created with feedback from 600+ food pantry clients and over 100 partners and community organizations, these food lists provide suggestions on preferred staples, foods to avoid, and culturally important holiday foods.

We currently have suggested food lists for six cultures and will be developing more in the future. Many of these suggested foods are already available on Agency Express, and we will continue to add additional food choices in the coming months. You can view the list here.

Agency Express 1

Agency Express 2

Agency Express 3

Food Suggestions for Upcoming Holidays

The Month of Ramadan: (4/12/21 - 5/12/21) During the month of Ramadan, people who practice Islam will fast from sunrise to sunset. Food traditions vary around the world, but both the suhoor (pre-dawn) and iftar (evening) meals contain fresh fruit, vegetables, halal meats, breads, cheeses, and sweets including dates. Pork products are never consumed by followers of Islam.

Ethiopian Orthodox Easter: (5/2/21) Also known as Fasika or Tensae, this Christian holiday often occurs after Easter is celebrated in the West. During Lent, a 55-day fasting period prior to Easter, Ethiopian Orthodox Christians do not eat animal products like meat, cheese, butter, and eggs. On the eve of Easter, it is customary to break this fast with a meat-filled feast which may include many of the regional dishes served during the Muslim holiday Eid al-Adha.

Eid al-Fitr: (5/13/21) Eid al-Fitr, celebrated by Muslims worldwide, marks the end of the month of Ramadan and is particularly associated with the preparation of festive sweets. Ethiopian and Somali clients may celebrate Eid al-Fitr by preparing recipes using teff flour, sugar, dates, beef, butter, and coffee.

Client Resources: Waterford UPSTART

Waterford UPSTART is a free at-home computer-adaptive kindergarten readiness program designed for four-year-old children and their families. Waterford UPSTART specifically works with low income and underserved children in Colorado.

Please share their flyer with members of your community that would be interested in participating in this program. Families can also register for Waterford UPSTART by calling 888-982-9898 or visiting their website.

Healthy Food for Denver’s Kids Second Funding Opportunity

Healthy Food for Denver’s Kids Logo

Healthy Food for Denver’s Kids Grant Funding

The Denver Department of Public Health & Environment continues to provide healthy food access to youth through the Healthy Food for Denver’s Kids program. Voters approved the initiative in 2018 to establish a sales tax which adds up to ~$11M annually. Nonprofits, schools, and city agencies can submit grant proposals on how to best improve youth access to healthy food and food-based education. This second funding round includes an emphasis on early childhood education, participation in federal food assistance programs, and encouragement for organizations to purchase food from local producers. The funding opportunity is now open and closes on April 26, 2021. Sign up for the HFDK email list to receive funding updates. Read more about the funding and register for an informational Zoom meeting on Tuesday March 30, 2021, 12:30—2:30 p.m. Email paige.cheney@denvergov.org with any questions about the funding.

Alimentos Saludables para los Niños de Denver: Fondos de una subvención

El Departamento de Salud Pública y Medio Ambiente continúa proporcionando acceso a alimentos saludables para los jóvenes a través del programa Healthy Food for Denver’s Kids (Alimentos Saludables para los Niños de Denver). Los votantes aprobaron una iniciativa en el año 2018 para establecer un impuesto sobre las ventas, el cual suma hasta aproximadamente $11 millones al año. Las organizaciones sin fines de lucro, escuelas y agencias municipales pueden enviar propuestas de subvenciones sobre cómo mejorar aún más el acceso a los alimentos saludables y a la educación sobre alimentación para los jóvenes. Esta segunda ronda de financiamiento incluirá un énfasis en los servicios para los niños de hasta 5 años (por ejemplo, educación de infancia temprana), en la participación en programas federales de asistencia alimentaria y en alentar a las organizaciones a comprarles alimentos a los productores locales. El inicio de esta oportunidad de financiamiento para el año 2021 está programado para el 15 de marzo y cerrará el día 26 de abril. Inscríbase en la lista de correos electrónicos de HFDK para recibir actualizaciones sobre los fondos. Puede leer más sobre esta oportunidad de financiamiento en este enlace y regístrese para una reunión informativa de Zoom el martes 30 de marzo de 2021, a partir de las 12:30 a las 2:30 p.m. Envíele un correo electrónico a paige.cheney@denvergov.org con sus preguntas sobre el financiamiento.

HFDK Flyers

Important Notice regarding SNAP Benefits

Colorado Department of Human Service (CDHS) released an important notice that Coloradans will experience delayed food assistance benefits. Coloradans will see no change in regular benefits, but may experience up to a 14-day delay of additional benefits. This may affect the number of individuals and families you see visit your program.

Coloradans who receive additional food assistance through Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits through the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act of 2020 will see those additional benefits delayed for the month of April as states nationwide await further guidance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Coloradans will receive their normal, pre-pandemic level of benefits on time as regularly scheduled.

CDHS anticipates that the additional funds will be made available to households receiving SNAP benefits, but households could see those funds delayed at least until April 11, possibly longer. This could cause hardships for families as they budget for their food expenditures for the month.

If the delay does cause a hardship, there are options available to help, including local food banks and pantries. CDHS recommends that SNAP participants experiencing hardship because of the delay do not contact their local counties. Instead, they should monitor the SNAP page on the CDHS website for updates. They can also find a list of local food banks and pantries on the website.

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info@foodbankrockies.org
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Food Bank of the Rockies is a
U.S. registered charity EIN #8‌4-077‌2672
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