Background Statement
Having enough nutritious food is vital for health and well-being throughout our lives. Nutritious food helps babies develop, gives kids the energy to excel in school, reduces the risk of chronic diseases in adults and keeps older adults stable and independent. And yet, all across Colorado, kids start the school day hungry, unable to focus on learning. Parents go without to feed their children, and older adults are forced to decide between buying medication or food.
Building a More Just Future
Our vision is that every Coloradan has equitable access to nutritious, culturally relevant food. That vision can only be realized by following the lead of community members directly impacted by hunger, building a community-centered food system, and overturning the structural racism in our institutions and government policies that result in Black, Indigenous, Latinx, immigrant and other communities of color being disproportionately impacted by hunger and poverty.
To achieve our long-term vision, our approach:
-centers community members and local communities directly impacted by hunger;
-pursues systems and policy changes that strengthen SNAP, school meals and other government nutrition programs while also building local food systems;
-ensures adequate income for all and;
-eliminates racist barriers that hinder food access for immigrants and other communities of color.
We will only end hunger when we all commit to doing our part to creating a world in which everyone has the reliable access to the healthy, culturally relevant food needed to thrive. Everyone has a role to play in making this vision a reality, which is why we work to build broad-based support for the anti-hunger cause.
-We need your voice to be heard loud and clear by our elected officials. We have developed an Action Network that brings together thousands of community members from across the state to advocate on critical policy changes.
-Our work to end hunger will not happen overnight – it will take a long-term commitment to creating sustainable, structural change.