Hunger Free Colorado staff in front of the Capitol on Lobby Day
This May, staff from Hunger Free Colorado headed to Washington D.C. for the National Anti-Hunger Policy Conference, co-sponsored by the Food Research & Action Center and Feeding America.
At the conference, we had the opportunity to connect with passionate individuals from organizations across the country that are dedicated to ending hunger in their communities. The conference offered a variety of informational sessions and panels around legislative best practices and innovative advocacy methods to help fight hunger.
Our Community Organizer, Erika Cervantes, was a featured speaker on the panel for Healthy School Meals for All. During the discussion, she shared the effective organizing practices Colorado implemented that led to the successful passage of Prop FF: Healthy School Meals for All last November.
“We centered equity primarily by meeting people where they’re at,” Cervantes said. “We put boots on the ground, knocked on doors, and talked to folks in communities to directly inform them about the initiative.”
Erika Cervantes after the Healthy School Meals for All panel
As other advocacy groups continue to push for the adoption of universal school meal policies in their states, Cervantes emphasized the importance of prioritizing community involvement: “This came from community speaking up,” she stated. “The community knows what the community needs.”
After the conference, Hunger Free Colorado staff headed to Capitol Hill to speak with the legislative aides of some of Colorado’s most prominent lawmakers, including Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper and Representatives Doug Lamborn and Diana DeGette. Our advocates advised them to support: childhood nutrition on a national level, a Farm Bill that that ensures SNAP benefits meet peoples’ nutritional needs and are accessible to all; and removing time limits on SNAP benefits that are conditional on meeting strict work requirements for working-age adults without dependents.
In addition, they offered guidance to lawmakers, urging them to safeguard SNAP during the current debt limit negotiations and warned against potential compromises that could harm SNAP and other crucial programs that provide essential support to low-income households.
Despite the ongoing expressions of support from numerous Colorado legislators for preserving SNAP benefits and expanding accessibility to crucial food resources, the journey towards achieving food sovereignty in our nation is ongoing. Nevertheless, Hunger Free Colorado remains steadfast in our pursuit of ending hunger, working diligently at both state and national levels to advance this vital cause.
