August 2025 Partner Newsletter

Dear Hunger Relief Partners,

I hope this message finds you well. As we move through the heart of summer, I wanted to take a moment to highlight the incredible work happening across our new Community Connections team and share a few reflections from our recent visits with partners like you.

Over the past couple of months, we’ve had the opportunity to visit with 106 Hunger Relief Partners — from Granby in the north down to Evergreen in the mountains, and from Golden on the west across to Henderson in the east. These visits have been inspiring and eye-opening. As one of our leaders put it, “For whatever number of partners we have, that is the number of pantry models there are.” We’ve seen large and small pantries, choice-models and drive-throughs, operations by appointment or walk-in, in metro and rural communities alike. Each one is unique, and every one of you is doing meaningful, tailored work to serve your neighbors.

From each visit, we’ve walked away with insights into your challenges, smart systems you’ve implemented, and a deeper appreciation for the diverse landscape — both literal and cultural — of our region. These conversations are helping us strengthen our partnerships, shape our planning, and share best neighbor-centered practices across the network. I’m continually impressed by the dedication and collaboration that drives this work forward.

If we haven’t visited your location yet, don’t worry — we’re looking forward to it! I’m excited to continue connecting the dots, sharing updates, and learning how we can better support your efforts. Together, we hope to make a united impact during this pivotal time.

Please keep an eye out for additional messaging about setting up your “Get to Know You Visit,” if you haven’t already done so. If you’d like to schedule your visit with our team or have any questions, please reach out to Partner Solutions at 303-375-5867 or partnersolutions@foodbankrockies.org, and they’ll connect you with your designated Community Connector.

Thank you again for all that you do. Let’s continue supporting each other and moving forward together.

Kind regards,
Elizabeth Brethen and your Community Connections Team

Important Dates

• Tuesday, August 12: Hunger Relief Partner Orientation at 10:00 a.m. (virtual)
• Wednesday, August 13: Metro Denver Town Hall from 2:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.
• Wednesday, August 20: Hunger Relief Partner Orientation at 1:00 p.m. (in-person tour + orientation)
• Tuesday, August 26: Mountain Town Hall from 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m.
• Thursday, August 28: Hunger Relief Partner Orientation at 1:00 p.m. (virtual) + place pick-up orders for Tuesday, September 2 (due to 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 (due to closure on Monday, September 1)
• Monday, September 1: Food Bank of the Rockies is closed for Labor Day
• Wednesday, September 3: Western Slope Town Hall from 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m.
• Tuesday, September 22: Building Belonging Lunch & Learn on Compassion Fatigue 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m. (see below for more information)

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, alongside the network of five Feeding America food banks and 1,200 Hunger Relief Partners across the state, did extensive advocacy and media interviews over the last few months regarding the changes to SNAP and Medicaid in the congressional budget reconciliation package. Unfortunately, the bill passed with those proposed changes, resulting in more pressure on our network. Congress has historically worked in a bipartisan way to improve and strengthen federal nutrition programs, and we hope to return to that. In the meantime, we will be working with state lawmakers and agencies to prepare and mitigate the impact on our communities and neighbors. We are committed to assisting however we can, but we will need everyone’s help. Please sign up for the Feeding Colorado newsletter and action alerts here.

Grant Opportunities

Want to learn more about fundraising and grant writing? Candid offers many free trainings on a variety of topics. Click here to check it out!

Below are upcoming grant opportunities.

• The Denver Foundation has several grant opportunities available:
  • LatinasGive! Fund: Funding priorities are projects and programs focused on education, basic needs, financial stability, Latino and Latina emerging leaders, and social justice. Grants range from $500-$4,000 and the deadline to apply is August 15. Learn more here.
  • I.F.T. Fund: Funding priorities are Latino male empowerment; Latino advocacy and justice; Latino health, wellness, educational supports/services, arts and culture; and meeting the basic needs of the Latino community. Grants range from $500-$4,000 and the deadline to apply is August 15. Learn more here.
  • Colorado AAPI Circle Fund: This giving circle is focused on supporting AANHPI communities most in need. Grants range from $1,000-$4,000 and the deadline to apply is September 15. Learn more here.
  • White Rose Foundation Community Grant: The purpose of the White Rose Foundation is to promote, encourage, assist, and engage in any and all kinds of charitable work to improve the educational, social, and economic welfare of people of color and other disadvantaged persons. Grants range from $1,000-$5,000 and the deadline to apply is September 15. Learn more here.
• Colorado Gives Foundation is now accepting applications for workforce development in Jefferson County. Grants range from $10,000-$100,000 and have a 20-month grant period. The deadline to apply is August 24; learn more here.

Program Updates

Compliance Reminders

All Hunger Relief Partners are required to complete the annual Food Safety and Civil Rights Training through the online platform, NeoGov, by August, 31, 2025.

These sessions help to ensure that neighbors 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). Courses are available in both English and Spanish.

If your organization does not complete the Food Safety and Civil Rights courses by August 31, your account will be put on hold and you will be unable to order or receive food (including access to the Fresh Food Center and Food Rescue products) until these compliance measures are completed.

Visit our Partner Portal for instructions and to access the online course platform, NeoGov: foodbankrockies.org/partner-portal/partner-training.

If you need support accessing NeoGov or need to be set up with a new account, please reach out to Partner Solutions at partnersolutions@foodbankrockies.org.

Partner Solutions: Tip of the Month

Prioritize Mental Wellness in Your Pantry

The work of food access is powerful, and it can also be emotionally heavy. As we continue serving neighbors with care and compassion, it’s important to take steps to protect our own well-being and that of our teams.

Here are a few small ways to support mental wellness in your pantry or organization this month:

• Start team check-ins with one-word feelings: Getting a quick emotional pulse can build connections and normalize honest conversations.
• Make space for breaks: A five-minute walk, deep breathing, or just a moment of stillness can go a long way.
• Celebrate small wins: A kind word, smooth distribution, thoughtful act from a volunteer: share and lift each other up.
• Watch for signs of burnout: Fatigue, irritability, or withdrawal can signal compassion fatigue and it’s okay to pause and ask for help.
• Encourage each other: Sometimes the best thing you can say is, “You’re doing a great job.”

Your emotional health matters. When we care for ourselves and each other, we strengthen our ability to care for our communities.

Community Connections

Regional Town Halls

Quarterly Regional Town Halls are right around the corner, and we’d love to see you there! You should have already received your email invitation, but please reach out to partnersolutions@foodbankrockies.org if you haven’t.

We’ll discuss federal updates, Food Bank of the Rockies’ new distribution facility, training reminders, Vivery (the new Find Food map), and have time for you all to share what’s been going on for you.

• Metro Denver Town Hall: Wednesday, August 13, from 2:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.
• Mountain Town Hall: Tuesday, August 26, from 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m.
• Western Slope Town Hall: Wednesday, September 3, from 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m.

If you have any thoughts on what would make this and future town halls most meaningful for you (timing, content, etc.), please email Partner Solutions at partnersolutions@foodbankrockies.org.

Find Food Map through Vivery

Have you heard of our new Find Food Map, through Vivery? This tool allows neighbors seeking food assistance to find options near them. In June, 19,764 Find Food Map searches took place from neighbors seeking food assistance!

Here’s what Hunger Relief Partners get when they claim their free Vivery Find Food account:

• Claim and optimize your profile on the Find Food Map: Take control of your agency’s profile by updating hours, programs, and more to ensure accuracy.
• Free, professional website for your agency: Turn your Vivery profile into a sleek website with just a few clicks.

To claim your profile, please reach out to Partner Solutions at partnersolutions@foodbankrockies.org.

Of all public-facing Hunger Relief Partners, 43% have already claimed their profiles! The more Hunger Relief Partners that claim and take control of their profile, the better a platform it will be for our neighbors.

Community-Centered Innovation Update

Building Belonging Lunch & Learn

• Topic: Compassion Fatigue
• Date: Tuesday, September 22, 2025
• Time: 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m.
• Location: Virtual

Microsoft Teams

• Need help?
• Join the meeting now
• Meeting ID: 280 471 183 159 3
• Passcode: YA3oK7dh

Join us for a timely and empowering session on compassion fatigue, a growing challenge among those who work in helping roles. Once associated primarily with healthcare, compassion fatigue is now widely recognized across nonprofit, social service, and community-centered fields.

This session will help participants recognize the early signs of burnout, understand what makes us vulnerable to compassion fatigue, and walk away with practical tools to build emotional resilience.

Learning Outcomes:

• Identify common signs of burnout and compassion fatigue
• Understand key vulnerability factors
• Strengthen their toolkit for compassion fatigue resiliency

Who Should Attend:
Anyone in a helping role: staff, volunteers, pantry leaders, community organizers, and anyone who wants to maintain emotional well-being while continuing to serve others with compassion and care.

About the Presenter:
Meredith has been a licensed mental health counselor (LPC) within the state of Colorado for the past 12 years and is a certified employee assistant professional. She has had experience in higher education as an academic advisor and director, special education technical trainer, and private practice counseling. She received her master’s in counseling from University of CO-Denver and undergrad at University of Northern Colorado. She has a passion for any type of travel, especially international, which often centers around her love of anything food. Her recipe for a healthy life includes practicing daily compassion and staying curious.

Sourcing Update

The programs and sourcing teams recently conducted the Hunger Relief Partner Survey to better understand and serve our partners’ needs, and 134 partners took part! To those of you who participated in the survey, THANK YOU! This survey included questions specifically geared toward purchased food preferences, including quality, pricing, and variety of purchased offerings. Sourcing is looking at your feedback and planning on making some changes toward purchased frozen proteins, in particular. We hope to field more surveys in the future and encourage you to continue participating!

Nutrition Update

Supporting Wellness at Pantries (SWAP) has been live for five months! If you have not heard of it, it is a nutrition ranking system using a stoplight analogy to educate our communities on the nutritional content of foods and how to maintain a well-balanced diet in the charitable food system. People facing food insecurity are at a much higher risk of developing chronic illness than individuals not facing food insecurity. SWAP encourages the donation and accessibility of nutrient-dense foods with our Hunger Relief Partners. It focuses on foods’ levels of saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars since these nutrients have been shown to impact health status. Foods ranked green or “choose often” are low in saturated fat, sodium, and sugar; those ranked yellow or “choose sometimes” have medium levels; those ranked red or “choose rarely” have high levels. If your organization is interested in participating in SWAP, please reach out to Jennie Kim, Nutrition Manager, at jkim@foodbankrockies.org or 303-879-0236.