This bi-weekly newsletter is packed with great information. Thank you for taking the time to learn about options for your programs, opportunities for your clients, and the many ways we are working together to make sure our community is nourished.

It’s Pride Month

People around the world celebrate Pride Month in June.  This year, COVID-19 interrupted the usual displays of support for the LGBTIQ community. Celebrations, marches, and demonstrations were canceled. We can still make a difference by helping our neighbors facing discrimination and inequality, whether they are part of the LGBTIQ community or other groups. Discrimination and inequality influence people’s ability to afford nutritious food. When we improve food security, we reduce inequality. We all make a difference with our mission and willingness to help everyone, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, religion, age, disability, or sexual orientation.

Data from The Williams Institute suggests that 24% of the LGBTIQ community in Colorado has experienced food insecurity, compared to 12% of those outside of that community (prior to COVID-19). The needs of each unique community are key to achieving higher food security. OutRight Action International shares suggestions on how our agencies and organizations can be allies for LGBTIQ neighbors in our communities:

• Ensure inclusive emergency relief health services by engaging LGBTIQ communities, understanding their needs, forging partnerships, and tailoring programming to LGBTIQ realities.
• Develop safe, respectful, sensitive, and secure approaches to ensuring access to relief commodities and services.
• Collaborate with LGBTIQ communities to develop tailored information that addresses infection control, availability of safe health services and safe spaces, and availability of social support.
• Include LGBTIQ issues when describing the gendered impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Document lessons learned from inclusive emergency relief and pandemic control efforts.
• Develop global guidance on ensuring an inclusive response to pandemics and other health emergencies.

Colorado Support Project offers a list of organizations in Colorado that support LGBTIQ rights.

If anyone has a story, experience, or idea they wish to share in regards to Pride month, serving our LGBTIQ community, or creating more inclusivity and diversity, please email Avalon, aguarino@foodbankrockies.org. We would love to share what you are doing with the wider community so we can all learn from your experiences!

Feeding America SNAP Virtual Fly-In, Happening Now through June 25

Partners in Feeding America’s network are surpassing what was previously thought possible to address the immense need in these challenging times. Proven federal nutrition programs like SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) are critical investments to combat the magnitude of COVID-19’s economic impact. Our lawmakers must hear this message — and even without traveling to DC, we can make sure they do if we band together.

We invite you to participate in the Virtual Fly-In, now through June 25, to encourage Congress-particularly Senators-to increase SNAP benefits. Visit Feeding America’s Virtual Fly-In page to learn more and participate today. 

Empower Field Distribution on June 26^th

Food Bank of the Rockies will host a mobile pantry at Empower Field, Friday, June 26 from 9 am – 3 pm. Please share information about this special distribution with any clients who could use a little more help this month. Food will be distributed drive-through style and anyone in need is welcome.

Help More People Vote

Many food assistance programs have access to communities that may be experiencing barriers to voter registration. GoVoteColorado.com promotes voter registration and voting encouragement efforts to groups with lower than average voter participation.  Reach out to Mark Fulford, 303-882-5111, markLfulford@gmail.com or Kathy Stumm, 720-273-7139, kastumm@msn.com with GoVoteColorado.com if your program can host members their outreach team. Outreach team members register your clients online at your site during food distributions. You can also print and share this flyer.

Summer Meals for Kids

We are accepting applications for the USDA’s Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). Many changes to the SFSP program now make it easier to share these important meals with children in your community. Choose the type of meal to distribute. Both fresh grab-n-go and shelf-stable meals are offered. Programs now can distribute multiple meals to each child at once, and parents may pick up meals on behalf of their children. These changes have been extended through August 31st. Check with Brandy to see if your program is eligible to participate. Please turn in your application today. Kids are counting on us, thank you!

Text to Locate Meal Sites for Children

Share with families you serve that it’s easy to locate meals for children 18 and under. Simply text "FOOD" or "COMIDA" to 877877 to receive a follow-up text with a list of nearby locations.

Help Children with Weekly Food Bags. Start or Renew Your Totes of Hope Program.

If you would like to provide weekly food for children and their families, restart your Totes of Hope program, or learn how to become a site, please reach out to Guillermo for more information. 

Produce Bags

Nutrition Network now offers fresh produce bags for our Totes of Hope. More than 1,700 produce bags were shared last week, providing nearly 8,800 pounds of nutritious produce!

Jeffco Eats shared, “We had a great day today, distributing more than 600 bags of shelf-stable food AND this beautiful fresh produce from Food Bank of the Rockies; we also bagged more than 1,300 totes for future distributions. We had an incredible group of enthusiastic volunteers, including members of the Green Mountain High School girls’ basketball team. Thank you to everyone who came out!”

If you are interested in adding fresh produce to your Totes of Hope program, please reach out to Guillermo to learn more.

Kindness and Kids’ Masks

Kindness makes our day. A wonderful woman recently donated 40 child-sized masks made from colorful kids’ bedsheets. We will share the masks with elementary school kids participating in our meal programs. This lovely lady is looking for others who share her passion to join her and create more masks for children. Reach out to Hannah if you’d like to help with this project.

Grow & Give

Do you have a home or community garden?  Would you like to donate some of the produce you grow and increase food security locally?  Consider the Grow & Give program which offers fantastic resources to grow food and share the harvest. Learn more here.

We Kicked Off Summer with a Free Food Car Parade for Kids

Food Bank of the Rockies’ third annual Summer Kick-Off Event took place last week at Town Center at Aurora.  The event promoted the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). Participants -- safe inside their cars -- drove through the festivities and received fresh produce bags, kid-friendly items from our mobile pantry, kids’ meals, and goodies from our partner vendors. Thank you to Cooking Matters, Tri-County Health, Benefits in Action, LiveWell Colorado, and Hunger Free Colorado for joining us to help kids celebrate the start of summer meals. Miles, the Denver Broncos’ mascot, made a delightful guest appearance! More than 300 households received food and 1,900 meals were shared with kids.