Colorado Gov. Jared Polis is planning to dole out up to $10 million in state funding for food banks, as hundreds of thousands of Coloradans risk losing federal benefits next month.

Roughly 1 in 10 Coloradans — more than 600,000 low-income residents — rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, to buy food. The federal government sends Colorado SNAP enrollees approximately $120 million each month, or around $200 per person, to purchase food at participating sites like grocery stores and farmers’ markets. 

But that funding could be cut off starting on Nov. 1 if the federal government shutdown drags on. 

During a news conference in Denver on Wednesday, Polis said he is seeking $10 million in funds from the state legislature’s Joint Budget Committee, the bipartisan panel of lawmakers tasked with reviewing spending requests. He also requested an extension through November in previously approved funding for the Women, Infants and Children nutrition access program, or WIC, which provides food for nearly 100,000 women and children in Colorado.

Polis said he’s confident the money will be approved and can start to go out to food banks starting in November, if the shutdown continues. 

“We know that more Coloradans will turn to food pantries and food banks without the needed SNAP support,” Polis said. “So we’re announcing steps, and we’re proposing to bolster our food banks and food pantries to help meet the increased demand.” 

Polis’ plan would see the funds distributed in $3.3 million increments every two weeks through mid-December. If the shutdown is not resolved by then, he said the state may have to consider additional actions to help limit the pressure on food providers. 

The money would go directly to Feeding Colorado, a part of the national Feeding America network, which oversees the state’s five largest food banks and partners with over 1,000 hunger-relief organizations and nonprofits throughout the state. 

While Polis said the $10 million in funding is “certainly not enough to fill the gap” that will be created if SNAP benefits are cut off, that money will have an outsized impact on food providers’ ability to keep their shelves stocked. 

That’s because food banks can buy food at scale and for a discounted price. Polis said that for every $1 a food bank takes in, that can translate to $5 or more in buying power, making the true funding impact closer to $50 million. 

But that still won’t be enough to offset communities’ increased need, which is why Polis also called on donors and philanthropists to give money directly to the state’s food banks. He said individuals and organizations can do so by going to FeedingColorado.org/donate. 

Polis also urged families to take advantage of the state’s Healthy School Meals for All program, which continues to provide free school breakfasts and lunches to all students regardless of income. 

“Let’s work together to make sure no one goes hungry in the state of Colorado during this difficult time,” Polis said. 

The impacts of the federal shutdown are all but certain to exacerbate stressors on the state’s food banks and pantries, which are already contending with increased demand and fewer resources. 

Many organizations have reported a rise in hunger since the COVID-19 pandemic, which has yet to wane. Earlier this year, the United States Department of Agriculture cut $1 billion from food assistance programs, half of which was for the agency’s Emergency Food Assistance Program, which provides food to food banks and pantries.

“Food banks and food pantries across Colorado are facing a crisis unlike anything we have ever seen,” said Erin Pulling, CEO for Food Bank of the Rockies, one of the partner organizations for Feeding Colorado. 

Food Bank of the Rockies, which serves Colorado and Wyoming, is seeing a more than 20% increase in food distribution over last year at many of its sites, Pulling said. She said the increase is directly tied to the increased cost of living and wage stagnation. 

“And amidst this heightened need, we’ve had a reduction in the USDA government commodity food that we receive,” Pulling said. “At Food Bank of the Rockies, that reduction has totaled 7% of our food supply, or enough food every day for 14,000 meals that we are not delivering.” 

Losing SNAP benefits will only add to the strain. Pullings said that for every meal a food bank can provide, SNAP provides nine. 

Pulling said the most effective way for people to help is by making a financial donation to help bolster food banks’ purchasing power. 

Coloradans can find information on their local food banks and pantries, and community agencies by accessing the 211 program, which connects people with state resources like food assistance. Information can be found by dialing 211 or 866-760-5489 or by visiting 211Colorado.org.

Coloradans can also access Feeding Colorado resources at FeedingColorado.org/find-food or by emailing info@feedingcolorado.org.