July 2025 Partner Newsletter

Dear Partners, 

After years of planning, months of construction, countless discussions (including with many of you!), our collective efforts, and invaluable support from each of you, we’re launching the public phase of Fulfilled, our capital campaign for our future Denver-area distribution center. We’re thrilled to finally be able to share this news publicly because of what this means for the impact we hope to have for decades to come in partnership with you.

Throughout our region, 1 in 8 people lives with food insecurity. Hunger rates are at a more than 10-year high locally and nationally; headlines have labeled this a “public health crisis.” We know that many of you are witnessing this increased need firsthand and are grateful for the work you do to ensure that everyone in our region is nourished. We all want a hunger-free future for our communities, and this facility allows us to adapt and innovate to get there. With the recent reductions to various USDA commodity food programs and changes to SNAP and Medicaid, less help is available to people to put food on their tables during difficult times. That’s why it’s more important than ever that we expand our capacity and increase our efficiency right now.

Since moving into our 45th Avenue distribution center, we’ve increased food distribution volume nearly five-fold. We technically outgrew this facility 14 years ago, which is when we started leasing a secondary facility. More recently, we have also had to lease offsite truck parking to keep up.

To meet the increased need we all are seeing, we must grow our volunteer base, increase donated food supplies, and operate as efficiently as possible — all of which this facility will help make a reality. By consolidating operations under one roof, we’ll increase efficiency, reduce waste, maximize our resources, and put sustainability front and center — generating over $500,000 in annual cost-savings that go directly back into feeding families and partnering with each of you. All in all, this new building will help us more collectively fulfill our mission more effectively for decades to come.

What will this new building mean for you, our amazing Hunger Relief Partners? Here are just a few of the ways we’ll better support you, based on feedback you’ve provided over the years:

• Better Food: Nourish people with the fresh, familiar foods (including a larger variety of protein and produce) they want and need, and support the nutritional needs of growing children and aging adults.
• Better Partnerships: Collaborate with each of you to more effectively meet community needs, changes, and challenges head-on thanks to increased cooler, freezer, and dock spaces; a larger Fresh Food Center; and more dedicated partner parking. In addition, conference rooms will be available for you to reserve for convenings and meetings.
• Better Operations: Save more than $500,000 annually on operating costs and pass those savings on to distribute even more food — scaling to 100 million pounds annually over the next few years, including up to 10,000 meals daily for children from our expanded kitchen.
• Better Future: Incorporate more sustainability measures, respond in real time to fluctuating levels of need to reach more people with the nutritious and familiar food necessary to thrive, and address the root causes of food insecurity by expanding and strengthening our workforce development training programs.

This next chapter is possible because of your hard work, passion, commitment, and belief in the power of collaboration — and the new space is designed to strengthen and amplify our collective hunger-relief efforts across the Rockies.

We’re in the final stretch of the campaign, 85% of the way to our goal. We plan to move into the new facility this winter and will share information well in advance of the move. We encourage you to learn more and share our campaign website with colleagues, friends, and family.

I cannot fully put into words what your partnership means to us. You make our mission possible and we are so grateful for everything you do to nourish our neighbors every day.

We’re excited to welcome each of you to our new home in a few short months! It is as much your facility as it is ours, and we hope it feels like a hub for community gatherings, collaborations, and ideas. Together, we can ensure every person experiencing food insecurity has the food they need to thrive.

Erin Pulling
President & CEO

P.S. Next month’s newsletter will include dates and times for special Hunger Relief Partner hard-hat tours of the construction site!

Important Dates

Tuesday, August 12: Hunger Relief Partner Orientation at 10:00 a.m. (virtual)

Wednesday, August 20: Hunger Relief Partner Orientation at 1:00 p.m. (in-person tour + orientation)

Thursday, August 28: Hunger Relief Partner Orientation at 1:00 p.m. (virtual); place pick-up orders for Tuesday, September 2, by 3:00 p.m. due to our closure on Monday, September 1

Friday, August 29: Order pick-up and Fresh Food Center until 11:00 a.m.; place pick-up orders for Wednesday, September 3, by 3:00 p.m. due to the closure on Monday, September 1

Monday, September 1: Food Bank of the Rockies is closed for Labor Day

To sign up for orientation or for questions about any of the dates above, contact partnersolutions@foodbankrockies.org. For our full, detailed calendars, please click here. 

Feeding Colorado Advocacy/Policy Update

Feeding Colorado is the state association of the Feeding America food banks serving all of Colorado and Wyoming.

June included a push to connect with congressional delegations in Colorado and Wyoming regarding concerns with the budget reconciliation bill, federal nutrition priorities, and what food banks and Hunger Relief Partners have been seeing on the ground. We also hosted a listening session with Senator Michael Bennett which included neighbors, producers, grocers, and partner agencies. The session highlighted that SNAP is our most effective tool to help nourish people facing food insecurity, and protecting it supports families, strengthens local economies, and upholds our nation’s commitment to addressing hunger.

Unfortunately, on July 4, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” was signed into law. Estimates show that this bill includes the largest reductions to SNAP and Medicaid in history — nearly $200 billion from SNAP (equating to roughly 6 billion meals per year) and more than $900 billion from Medicaid, which could result in at least 8 million people losing access to healthcare coverage.

SNAP reductions will be realized through increases to paperwork requirements, more narrow eligibility requirements, and less flexibility in updating benefit levels to reflect rising food costs (taking effect in 2025), as well as shifting costs to states (taking effect in 2028). Across Colorado, over 600,000 people rely on SNAP to put food on their tables. For every meal that a food bank can provide, SNAP provides nine. The Medicaid changes will place an additional burden on people to choose between food on their tables and critical healthcare costs.

Feeding Colorado and Feeding America will continue having conversations with our federal and state delegations, monitoring timing and anticipated impacts of this bill, and keeping you updated regarding impacts on neighbors.

Share What You See in Your Community

Each of you, along with the neighbors you serve, knows hunger in your community best. Legislators need to hear from you! Sign up for Feeding Colorado’s Action Alerts via the link below. We will send opportunities to engage with our legislators on policies that make a difference in building a future where everyone has access to the food they need to thrive.

Sign up here: secure.everyaction.com/HTD96rMrTESSLG3LCn-Aqw2

Program Updates

Compliance Reminders

It’s that time of year when you hear from Food Bank of the Rockies staff to remind you about two required trainings on topics that directly impact the well-being and dignity of the neighbors you serve: food safety and civil rights. As partners in providing vital food assistance, your commitment to these areas is paramount. Training completion is due by August 31.

Who should complete these training courses?

These trainings should be completed by:

1. The main contact and/or supervisor/director for your organization;
2. Those involved in direct pantry or distribution services; and
3. Any volunteers or staff who deem neighbors eligible or ineligible for all food distribution programs, including but not limited to TEFAP and Everyday Eats.

Why Food Safety Matters

The food assistance you provide is often a lifeline for individuals and families in our community. Ensuring that this food is safe to eat is both a regulatory requirement and a fundamental responsibility we share. Unsafe food can lead to serious health issues, erode trust, and ultimately harm the very people we’re trying to help.

By prioritizing food safety, you protect the health of neighbors and uphold the integrity of your invaluable service. Your dedication to safe handling, storage, and distribution practices means every meal provided is a step toward better health and greater security for people experiencing food insecurity.

Why Civil Rights Matter

It is critical that we ensure every individual receives assistance with dignity, respect, and fairness, free from discrimination. Our commitment to civil rights means everyone, regardless of background, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or any other protected trait, has the support they need.

Upholding civil rights standards in your operations builds a more welcoming, fair, and equitable community. It reinforces the message that every neighbor is valued and deserves compassionate and impartial treatment. This creates an environment of trust and ensures our assistance reaches everyone who is experiencing hunger, without prejudice.