Fueled by the rising cost of living and cuts to federal benefits, f ood assistance programs from around the Denver metro area have seen growing demand and an influx of new, first-time families in need of support this year.
Leaders with local food pantries and other nutritional aid groups highlighted the need for expanded funding for federal benefits like the Emergency Food Assistance Program and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, as well as broader reforms to make it more effective for the people it benefits, at a roundtable Wednesday hosted by U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet at the Food Bank of the Rockies.
In the last year, about 40,000 Coloradans have lost access to SNAP benefits amid changes to program requirements, according to Ron Meehan, government relations manager for Feeding Colorado. Food pantries have seen growing demand as costs for regular families tightened, increasing the number of people who need their services on top of the low-income families who already relied on them…