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More than 1 in 3 Coloradans faces food insecurity during pandemic

Four in ten Colorado parents say they've had to skip meals because there wasn't enough money for food, according to a new survey conducted by Kupersmit Research.
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Grocery bags for give away line the OUR Center facility on July 1, 2020. (Photo by Monte Whaley)

DENVER — More than 37% of Coloradans currently are struggling to afford food, compared with 11% during the Great Recession, and hunger-fighting advocates are calling on Congress to extend food assistance during the coronavirus pandemic.

Ellie Agar, communications director for Hunger Free Colorado, said families and people of color have taken the biggest hit from the health emergency's economic fallout.

"Statewide, we've seen about 20% of families are having to skip or cut back on meals," Agar said. "And even harder hit are Black and Hispanic and indigenous households. Some of those rates are more than double what we're seeing across the state."

Four in ten Colorado parents say they've had to skip meals because there wasn't enough money for food, according to a new survey conducted by Kupersmit Research.

Nearly a quarter of parents reported they also had to cut back on their children's meals. Early aid packages passed by Congress temporarily increased SNAP benefits, formerly known as food stamps, for some families. But Agar said those benefits could expire unless Congress acts.

More than half of parents surveyed are not sure they'll be able to cover basic expenses in coming weeks and months, despite being OK prior to COVID-19.

Local assistance organizations are seeing first-hand the impacts of the pandemic.

Julia McGee, Community Food Share director of communications, last month said the organization has distributed over 1 million pounds of food each month since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in March.

Prior to the pandemic nearly 40,000 people a year relied on the food bank and its network of food pantries, according to the website. But that number is likely to keep climbing: It is estimated demand will grow by 35% in the months to come at the food bank that distributes nearly 10 million pounds of food a year, according to McGee.

Longmont Food Rescue, which holds a monthly Produce in the Park program to allow participants to “shop” for free with no questions asked, also is seeing growing demand.

Since the start of COVID-19 the organization has seen “a huge increase in food going out faster than before,” Executive Director Naomi Curland said last month.

More worried families also are asking the OUR Center for help, Executive Director Marc Cowell said in July.

From April to June, the OUR Center booked 635 appointments for people looking for help. That same period last year, there were about 200, Cowell said.

“We’ve seen a significant increase in people coming in looking for aid, whether it’s for food, clothing or shelter,” he said. 

Hunger Free Colorado’s Agar says expanding SNAP benefits by 15% also would help local economies because for every dollar spent at grocery stores or farm stands, $1.50 is generated in economic activity.

"Investing in these nutrition programs helps not only our communities but our economy," Agar said. "It's making sure that families can get the nutrition they need, so that we're getting money back into our economy to help our state recover as a whole."

Agar's group also is calling on Congress to extend Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer assistance through the upcoming school year, which helps families purchase food that kids normally would get at school. School closures across Colorado have resulted in the loss of free and reduced-price school meals for more than 350,000 students.

— Previous Longmont Leader reporting contributed to this story.

Editor's note: This story was originally published by Colorado News Connection.