Additional Upcoming Resources

• New Facility Orientation Materials: We will be publishing orientation materials for the new facility before the first day of food pick-ups at the new building. Please be on the lookout for an email from your Community Connector with more information coming very soon!
• Special Edition Town Hall Meetings: Our Partner Solutions team has been hosting virtual sessions to share updates and special dates and provide partners with an opportunity to ask questions. We’ve already hosted two Town Halls, and our next opportunity will be:
  • Thursday, December 4 – 1:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m.
    • Join the meeting Meeting ID: 235 134 850 770     Passcode: Pc6DF33K

Move Schedule Outline

There are two dates on which Hunger Relief Partners will transition from picking up food at our current facilities to picking up at the new facility. Click here to download the move schedule as a PDF.

The address of the new facility is 20600 E. 38th Ave., Aurora, CO 80019.

TEFAP Hunger Relief Partners

CACFP After-School Meals Hunger Relief Partners

All Other Hunger Relief Partners Who Pick Up Orders

Hunger Relief Partners Who Receive Deliveries

FRESH

Please reach out to partnersolutions@foodbankrockies.org with any questions.

SNAP Disruption Update

We are committed to keeping you updated regarding what we know about the impact of the government shutdown on SNAP and food security.

During the week of October 27, Food Bank of the Rockies issued food credits from our emergency funds to Hunger Relief Partners in response to anticipation among neighbors of SNAP not being issued for November.

On October 30, the Colorado Joint Budget Committee approved $10 million in emergency funding to Feeding Colorado in increments of $3.3 million every two weeks until SNAP funds are made available. Feeding Colorado is the membership organization for all five food banks serving every county in Colorado, with a network of over 1,200 Hunger Relief Partners. They will issue 58.6% of these funds to Food Bank of the Rockies, in proportion to hunger rates in our 32-county service area. All of this funding will go to food for neighbors in our communities.

On Friday, October 31, two federal courts indicated that SNAP benefits should be provided during the government shutdown. We continue to monitor the results of these rulings and their impact on Colorado. In the meantime, the state will issue its first payment to Feeding Colorado. When a budget is available for SNAP, it can take up to seven days to issue benefits to recipients so they can use them to purchase food.

How state of Colorado funds are being allocated: Through state of Colorado funds we are taking the following approach:

• Prioritizing orders of proteins and produce, which align with neighbor and partner preferences and support nutrition and cultural preferences.
• Prioritizing food to partners. Food Bank of the Rockies will support the existing hunger-relief network. We are available to fill gaps with our signature programs.
• Produce is continually available to all partners at no cost.
• Support all counties in our service area. Food credits were allocated to counties in proportion to SNAP issuance, or anticipated new demand, in their counties.
• Food credits, or allocations of food, will be issued weekly to Hunger Relief Partners based on the following criteria:
  • In areas of highest need based on SNAP issuance data
  • Open to the general public, reaching people who are new to the hunger-relief system
  • Able to expand with frequent/large distributions based on a two-year ordering history
• Partners not meeting these criteria receive a base allocation of food credits, recognizing you are feeling the increased need within the populations you serve.
• Maintain an increased supply of food for normal operations, making food available to all partners.

Partners can anticipate receiving the same amount of food credits each week. Food Bank of the Rockies will, however, monitor credit use and redistribute credits that partners are unable to use so that they result in getting food to neighbors.

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently asked questions about how we are leveraging our purchasing power to nourish neighbors during this SNAP disruption are available in the Food Bank of the Rockies Partner Portal in the Partner Resources section under SNAP Resources. Additionally, please provide feedback to us regarding what you are experiencing and how we can best support you by completing this form: Impacts of the Federal Government Shutdown – Fill out form.

Lean into the Hunger Relief Network

Each of you will feel the burden of the SNAP disruption. Use our Find Food Page to help neighbors find additional resources. Keep your information updated on our Find Food Page so that people who are new to the network can find support near them. We share this data with United Way 2-1-1. Remember: We are a united community designed to work alongside one another. You are not alone. Look to partners near you to design creative local solutions to best nourish neighbors. The hunger-relief network, Food Bank of the Rockies, and the greater community stand alongside you to support our communities.

Program Updates

Partner Solutions – Tip of the Month

Reminder: Life Cycle of an Order

When shoppers log in to Agency Express, you may see available dates beyond what should be selected based on the correct lead time — 3 business days for a pick-up order and 4 business days for a delivery order. Please do not be tempted to place an order outside of these requirements — your order will be rejected.

We are also noticing Hunger Relief Partners selecting a date and time in the Agency Express Scheduler, not placing an order, and not cancelling the reserved time. When this occurs, it keeps other partners from being able to select that date and time, causing fewer orders to be placed. Only schedule a date and time for an order you intend to place — and, per the reminder above, 3 business days before a pick-up order and 4 business days for a delivery order. Please revisit these helpful documents, post them in a visible place as a reminder, and share with your designated shoppers:

Life Cycle of a Pick-up Order      Life Cycle of a Delivery

If you have any questions about these timelines and processes, please contact partnersolutions@foodbankrockies.org

Government Programs

TEFAP

Do you have a new employee assisting with TEFAP or need a quick memory jog on TEFAP eligibility applications? CDHS just released a new training PowerPoint and it’s got all the information you need to feel confident and stay compliant!

Click Here to check out the PowerPoint!

Food for Kids Update

December Closures

Please review the following important updates regarding upcoming kitchen closures and our move to a new facility. For all Totes of Hope® partners, you will be contacted soon about rescheduling any orders that will be impacted.

Kitchen Closures:

• December 10-December 14, 2025: Closed due to Food Bank of the Rockies’ move to our new building
• December 22, 2025-January 2, 2026: Closed for the holiday break

During these closure periods, no meals will be prepared or distributed.

Shelf-Stable Meal Requests:

If your site will need shelf-stable meals during the closure periods, please notify the Food for Kids team by December 4, 2025, by emailing FFK@foodbankrockies.org.

Please let us know the number of meals you will need, pick-up date, and timeframe you will be coming to pick up those meals. Tuesdays work best for pick-ups.

The last day to pick up shelf-stable meals will be December 9, 2025, at our current 45th Avenue location.

New Kitchen & Shelf-Stable Pick-Up Location (effective after the move):

Food Bank of the Rockies
20600 E. 38th Ave.
Aurora, CO 80011

Shelf-stable meal pick-up will also be available at this new location beginning December 16, 2025.

Normal kitchen production and distribution will resume on January 5, 2026.

We appreciate your cooperation and understanding as we transition to our new facility and observe the holiday break. Please reach out to the Food for Kids team with any questions or to submit your shelf-stable meal requests.

Community-Centered Innovation Update

Call for Submissions: Building Belonging End-of-Year Celebrations!

As we approach the end of the year, Food Bank of the Rockies would love to celebrate the diverse holidays, traditions, and community gatherings that are meaningful to the neighbors you serve.

Please take a few moments to share how your community celebrates this special season! Your stories and photos will help us highlight the rich cultural diversity across our network during December’s Building Belonging Lunch & Learn and in upcoming partner communications.

Thank you for helping us showcase the many ways our communities come together to share food, joy, and connection.

Submit your celebration here!

Nominate a Denver 7 Everyday Hero

Do you have a volunteer who has shown extraordinary dedication and deserves this recognition? If so, please take a moment to nominate them at: denver7.com/news/7everyday-hero

Food Sourcing Update

SNAP Response

In response to the elevated need due to the SNAP benefit disruption, our sourcing team began bringing in incremental loads of food starting at the end of October. This food is available to all partners who order food through Agency Express. Decisions of what items to bring in were based on partner feedback that our programs and sourcing teams have heard over the last year, focusing on frozen protein, fresh produce, and shelf-stable meal staples. We will continue to bring in elevated amounts of food while we experience elevated need.

Holidays

The winter holiday season is upon us! There’s still some time to order items for Thanksgiving, such as corn muffin mix, canned sweet potatoes, stuffing, instant potatoes, cranberry sauce, canned gravy, cream of mushroom soup, canned green beans, canned corn, and turkeys. For Christmas, we will be sourcing smoked frozen hams. For Hanukkah, we will be stocking yeast, olive oil, and frozen matzo meal. For Navidad, we will have corn husks, masa, tortillas, dried ancho and arbol chiles, and dry beans. And, of course, we will also have fresh produce to complete neighbors’ holiday tables! For details on any of these holiday items, reach out to Partner Solutions at partnersolutions@foodbankrockies.org.

New Program Staffing Announcements

Food for Kids

Erica Winkler (she/her/hers), Food for Kids Representative

Hello, my name is Erica and I am so excited about my new position at Food Bank of the Rockies as a Food for Kids Representative. I’ve spent the last few years in hands-on education and I am passionate about helping kids get the nourishment they need to grow and thrive. I can’t wait to work with you all!

Ti Murray (they/them/theirs), Food for Kids Representative

I am a former behavioral change and executive consultant who is thrilled to be able to bring those skills to something that really matters. I spend my free time playing games of all kinds and seeking out thrilling adventures. I have strong passions for social justice, personal growth, and karaoke.

Partner Highlight