A plan to end hunger across the state in five years aims to connect those struggling to buy food with federal assistance programs.
Hunger is a widespread problem with nearly one in 10 people in Colorado struggling to buy food, according to the statewide plan written by a coalition of groups.
The plan emphasizes the importance of increasing the low statewide enrollment in federal programs including Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps, and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children program (WIC). It also discusses increasing the availability of fresh food options through community organization, among other strategies.
Only about half of those eligible for WIC in the state are enrolled, and SNAP enrollment also falls short, at 60 percent of those eligible, according to the statewide plan. About 43 percent of those eligible in La Plata County are signed up for SNAP, according to the most recent data available through Hunger Free Colorado.
Having access to healthy food also improves the long-term health and reduces medical costs for residents.
For children, federal assistance can reduce their future risk of developing diabetes and heart disease, according to the state plan.
WIC enrollment reduces premature births and low birth weight in babies. It also improves access to regular health care, among a litany of other benefits, said Jenny Pritchard, WIC program manager for San Juan Basin Public Health.
For every $1 spent on a pregnant woman in the WIC program, up to $4.21 is saved in medical expenses for her newborn baby, Pritchard said.
To reach more people, the health department is planning to offer WIC services at new locations in La Plata and Archuleta counties to help enroll families who have transportation barriers, she said. It also plans to start a new advertising campaign around the program.
Increasing enrollment in federal programs will reach only a portion of those in need, because 52 percent of La Plata County’s food-insecure population is not eligible for SNAP because their income is too high, said Sarah Smith, director of the Food Bank.
“Increasing enrollment, without increasing income guidelines, will still leave a huge gap of people experiencing hunger,” she said.
To qualify for SNAP, a mother with two children must make less than $26,556 per year, according to the statewide plan. The same family can qualify for WIC if it earns less than $37,297 per year.
As the southwest manager of Cooking Matters, Darcy Parrillo helps residents understand how to eat healthier with federal benefits. The high cost of living is forcing some people to leave town, she said.
“I think a lot of people are being driven out right now. ... People living in poverty in our community and middle class are saying ‘I have to go somewhere else,’” she said.
There is strong local interest in the Cooking Matters classes, which are focused on teaching parents of children under 5 years old about buying and preparing healthy and affordable food.
“Our classes tend to be full. There’s definitely a need and an interest in what we have to offer,” she said.
National data shows that families who participate in the nonprofit’s classes buy lower sodium and lower fat foods and more whole grains and lean proteins, she said.
In addition to improved health, children who are well-fed also do better in school and have higher graduation rates, said Jennifer Banyan, who worked on the plan.
The plan was endorsed by the Gov. John Hickenlooper when it was released.
“This is, quite simply, an imperative for our state. To have a single Coloradan – particularly our kids and our seniors – go to bed hungry or worry about how they will eat the next day is unacceptable,” he said in a statement.
Schools, nonprofits, governments, health care systems and others will have to collaborate to end hunger across the state, Banyan said.
“Hunger is solvable, but it’s going to take every sector,” she said.
mshinn@durangoherald.com
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