Después de que los votantes de Colorado aprobaran el año pasado una medida para ofrecer comidas gratuitas a todos los alumnos de escuelas públicas, independientemente de su capacidad de pago, unos 41 grupos comunitarios de todo el estado están trabajando para apoyar y promover el nuevo programa en comunidades de difícil acceso.

Rachel Landis dirige Good Food Collective, que trabaja en la región de Four Corners. Dice que las comidas escolares son una de las principales fuentes de calorías y nutrición para una gran parte de los estudiantes.

"Al invertir en comidas escolares más saludables -y luego en el acceso universal a las mismas- nos aseguramos de que los estudiantes puedan tener una nutrición que les permita aprender, tener éxito," asegura Landis, "y, en última instancia, alcanzar su máximo potencial como residentes de Colorado."

Colorado Access Foundation y Colorado Health Foundation han comprometido conjuntamente $1.5 millones de dólares para promover los beneficios de la nueva iniciativa estatal Comidas Escolares Saludables para Todos. Las familias ya no tienen que inscribirse para recibir comidas gratuitas, pero los grupos están ayudando a los padres a rellenar las solicitudes de beneficios que pueden ayudar a las escuelas a obtener fondos adicionales. Están animando a los padres a unirse a juntas locales para ayudar a configurar los menús escolares de sus hijos.

El nuevo programa también espera que sea un impulso para los agricultores independientes de Colorado. El juez Onwordi del Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger, dice que, a partir del próximo año, las escuelas que opten por participar podrán aprovechar los diez millones de dólares disponibles para comprar alimentos ricos en nutrientes de origen local.

"También intentamos trabajar con las escuelas para entablar relaciones con los productores locales, de modo que cuando haya fondos disponibles, más escuelas se animen a utilizarlos," explica Onwordi. "Así pueden ofrecer más cocina casera en sus escuelas, y asegurarse de que tienen más alimentos frescos para los estudiantes."

Landis afirma que las escuelas también están encontrando formas creativas de disipar el estigma asociado con frecuencia a la comida de cafetería. Señala el éxito de una granja hidropónica en una escuela secundaria de Durango donde, como parte del plan de estudios de ciencias, los alumnos comen lo que cultivan.

"La escuela secundaria acaba de aprender eso, dice Landis. "Luego, en el vecino condado de Montezuma, hay un programa de la escuela a la granja que está formando a la próxima generación de agricultores, y parte de esa comida acaba en los comedores."

Supported by federal funding, a nonprofit network is working to ensure Mississippi families have access to the food they will need this winter.

Nearly one in six Mississippians faces food insecurity, according to Feeding America.

Adam Runion, communications coordinator for theMississippi Food Network, said the U.S. Department of Agriculture has a program which allows them to distribute locally grown, fresh produce to more than 400 partner agencies statewide. He said they started with 21 agencies in underserved northwestern delta counties. The funding has helped nearly 5,000 families so far.

"It's able to serve about 200 people at each agency when we started per month, but we've been able to take on more agencies as the program has developed," Runion explained. "That comes out to 4,200 households per month are receiving assistance through this program."

Runion pointed out they offer a variety of programs, including distributing food boxes to qualifying seniors and a backpack program for schools. Students can take the healthy snacks home on weekends, helping to improve their overall health and grades.

Runion added the Mississippi Food Network also offers a monthly mobile pantry, directly serving clients in areas of high need. Funding for the program comes from local organizations.

"In that mobile pantry, we distribute an emergency food box," Runion outlined. "Alongside that, we typically do a protein, which could be anywhere from a chicken to some type of fish, any type of meat. And then, we also try to do fresh vegetables as they're available."

Runion added the network is teaming up with a local television station for a "Turkey Drive" on Thursday. Volunteers will collect donated turkeys and other grocery items outside Kroger stores. Last year, they collected more than 1,100 turkeys and $12,000. This year's goal is to exceed 1,100 turkeys and raise $15,000.


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The nonprofit Feeding Texas Network has announced its priorities for the upcoming legislative session. The food insecurity rate continues to rise in Texas and the organization is encouraging lawmakers to support bills that address the root cause of hunger.

Celia Cole, Feeding Texas Network CEO, said they support bills that will eliminate the backlog of SNAP applications, implement the Summer EBT program and streamline Medicaid reimbursements.

"We are seeing some of the highest rates of hunger in Texas that we've seen in years. We have the second highest rate of food insecurity in the country. People are really struggling to put food on the table and pay for everything else like rent and utilities," Cole explained.

She added their legislative goals are supported by the 20 food banks across the state that serve all 254 counties in Texas.

Lawmakers have already started filing bills for the 89th legislative session. Cole said the network has received support from many members of the legislature in the past, and added their priorities also include addressing other areas of financial strife.

"They include health, housing security, financial security and then also just our local food system - you know - what can we do to strengthen the local food system so that people will have access to fresh, nutritious, affordable foods in their own communities?" she continued.

Cole said hunger is a nonpartisan issue that impacts every county in our state. The legislative session starts January 14th.


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Colorado's leading advocate for people experiencing hunger turns 15 this year and a new report outlined key advances and persistent challenges facing residents across the state.

Elissa Hardy, director of client services for Hunger Free Colorado, cited its work on the Healthy School Meals for All program as a major win. Students in schools opting into the program can now get the nutrition they need to learn, regardless of their parents' ability to pay. She pointed out it is also putting an end to practices such as lunch line shaming.

"This really allowed for reduction in stigma, in discrimination, for those kids on low-cost food programs," Hardy observed. "Because (with the new program) everyone was getting the meals."

Colorado became the third state in the nation to provide free, nutritious breakfast and lunch for all public-school students when voters approved Proposition FF in 2022. Hunger Free Colorado has also helped secure more than $30 million in state funding to fill food banks and pantries with culturally relevant foods communities want, produced by local farmers and ranchers.

When the group started doing outreach for SNAP enrollment in 2009, just four in 10 Coloradans eligible for the program formerly known as food stamps were getting help. Hardy reported today, nearly eight in 10 eligible families are getting food assistance.

"Colorado was one of the lower ranking states, for the number of people who are eligible but not enrolled, and now we are much higher up in that rating," Hardy emphasized. "We now have a team of 20 who are going into the community to do outreach."

Hardy acknowledged there is still work to be done. More than one in 10 Coloradans do not know where their next meal will come from and 17% of Colorado families with children do not earn enough to ensure their kids get the nutrition they need.

"I think it's really easy to think that people have what they need, and they don't," Hardy added. "There is food insecurity in our own neighborhoods, our own neighbors might be struggling. We work with many colleges across the state, and many of the students are struggling."