Our speaker today was Ashley Wheeland, JD  from Hunger Free Colorado, where she serves as the Director of Communications.  She has grown up in Colorado on the Western Slope in Montrose.  She attended Colorado State University and after did legislative work for Ken Salazar.  She went to law school at Denver University and has a passion for legislative work.  Hunger Free Colorado works to support Coloradoans and defines hunger in the following way:

Food Desert
Geographic areas that lack reasonable access to fresh fruit, vegetables, and other healthful whole foods, usually found in impoverished areas. This is largely due to a lack of grocery stores, farmers’ markets, and healthy food providers. A “low-access community” is at least 500 people and/or at least 33% of the census tract’s population must reside more than 1 mile from a supermarket or large grocery store (for rural census tracts, the distance is more than 10 miles). (source: USDA)

Food Hardship
Experienced when an individual states that they did not have enough money to buy needed food for themselves or their family during a 12-month span. (Source: FRAC)

Food Pantry
A nonprofit organization or program that provides food and grocery products directly to community members who are impacted by food hardship and/or food insecurity.

Food Insecurity
Consistent access to adequate food is limited by a lack of money and other resources at times during the year. The limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods, including involuntarily cutting back on meals or food portions, or not knowing the source of the next meal. Also known as “at risk of hunger.” Includes categories of “low” and “very low” food security, indicating degrees to which food intake is reduced or normal eating patterns disrupted because of lack of money and other resources for food. (source: USDA, Definitions of Food Security)

Hunger
Physiological condition for an individual that may result from food insecurity; a potential consequence of food insecurity that, because of prolonged, involuntary lack of food, results in discomfort, illness, weakness, or pain that goes beyond the usual uneasy sensation. (source: USDA)

Poverty
A state or condition in which a person or community lacks the financial resources and essentials to enjoy a minimum standard of life and well-being that’s considered acceptable in society, such as shelter, food and water. Federal poverty guidelines (or poverty thresholds) are set by the U.S. government each year to determine a household’s poverty status based on household income, family size, composition and age. (source: dictionary and U.S. Census Bureau)

Senior (Older Adult)
A person who is 60 years or older. (source: USDA, Colorado Department of Human Services, Meals on Wheels)

Mission:
Hunger Free Colorado connects people to food resources to meet existing needs and drives policy, systems and social change to end hunger.

Vision:
Every Coloradan has equitable access to the nutritious food needed to thrive and reach their full potential.

Core Values:
Hunger is solvable, unnecessary and unjust, and it impacts everyone living in Colorado.

• Innovation: Envisioning and leading change for improved solutions
• Collaboration: Working together to leverage expertise, resources and perspectives
• Respect: Treating all with dignity and empathy
• Impact: Strategically focusing energy and resources to create positive, sustainable results
• Equity: Just and fair inclusion in a community in which all can participate, prosper and reach their full potential
• Agency: Cultivating an environment for advocacy and self-determination

Our Innovative Work

As the state’s leading anti-hunger organization, we leverage the power of collaboration, systems change, policy change and social change to end hunger in Colorado. Our organization  focuses on systemic and sustainable solutions, but we cannot achieve a hunger-free Colorado alone. Collaboration is key in breaking down barriers to access, supporting thriving communities, and helping Coloradans reach their full potential.

• Connecting Colorado families and individuals to needed food resources via a statewide, bilingual Food Resource Hotline and on-site food stamp application assistance
• Advancing policy and streamlining access to eliminate barriers to nutrition programs, including passage of state legislation that improved the efficiency and effectiveness of food stamps across Colorado, benefiting our communities and economy
• Connecting children to food in and out of school through existing child nutrition programs, such as school breakfast, after-school snacks and summer meals
• Addressing the needs of older adults by working with community partners to find solutions that overcome access barriers due to health considerations, dietary restrictions and limited mobility or transportation, as well as connecting older Coloradans to needed food resources
• Engaging community organizations and government agencies for collaboration, innovation and dissemination of best practices, a key component to eradicating hunger across the state
• Educating and advocating to change hearts and minds about hunger through efforts such as Hunger Through My Lens, an advocacy project that provides a platform for Coloradans to share their stories and shed light on the reality of hunger in Colorado

Hunger is solvable, and sustainable solutions exist to eradicate hunger. Let’s work together to ensure every child, adult and senior has a strong foundation of well-being, which includes adequate access to nutritious food.

Everyone is at their best when they have enough to eat, but there are many life storms that make it difficult for Coloradans to afford healthy food. Having enough food supports the foundation for optimal health and well-being throughout our lifecycle. Nutritious food helps develop babies’ brains and bodies,  gives kids the energy to excel in and out of school, reduces the risk of chronic diseases in adults, and keeps older adults stable and independent.

Yet, nearly 1 in 11 Coloradans struggle to make ends meet and put food on the table, whether due to a job loss, health issue, minimum-wage job or another misfortune. It’s estimated that about 1 in 7 kids and 1 in 10 Colorado seniors don’t know when or where they will get their next meal. (Read more facts.)

Hunger affects too many in our great state; you may have family members, neighbors, co-workers and friends who don’t always have enough money to afford food. On a tight budget, people often have to choose between paying rent or buying needed medications instead of purchasing groceries. They may have to turn to already-strained food pantries and faith-based groups distributing emergency food, just to make ends meet.

Just as constructing a solid house requires a variety of materials, building well-being requires community resources like access to healthy, affordable food. When materials are cheap or not even available, the foundation is not as strong as it could be and soon may develop cracks. Similarly, nutritious food is one of those key materials for all people, and without it, we may have difficulty weathering life’s storms.

Federal nutrition programs, along with state and local counterparts, play an important role in connecting people of all ages, backgrounds and zip codes to needed food. By working together and supporting people throughout their lives, we can ensure everyone reaches their potential, which benefits all of us.

We can connect Colorado families and individuals to SNAP/food stamps, food pantries, free meal sites, WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) and other nutrition programs geared towards families, children and seniors.

Food assistance navigators also can provide:

• Help applying for SNAP/food stamps by phone and answer specific questions about the application process
• Referrals to food pantries and free meal sites in your area, including directions, hours of operations, types of food available, holiday meal times and other pertinent information
• Dates, times and locations of nearby sites participating in the statewide summer meals program for kids and teens
• Nearby locations where one-on-one assistance is available with the SNAP/food stamp application process
• Other information about food and nutrition resources in Colorado