ARVADA, Colo. – Los organizadores de la cuarta Hunger Free Colorado Summit (Cumbre Anual Colorado Sin Hambre) que se celebra este lunes afirman que se trata de colaboración y cómo lograr más con ella, para asegurar que la gente con presupuestos reducidos pueda arreglárselas para tener regularmente comidas saludables.

Las cifras publicadas por el U. S. Department of Agriculture (Departamento de Agricultura de los Estados Unidos) ubican al 13.9 por ciento de los coloradeños en lo que se considera “inseguridad alimentaria”, y el 5.5 tiene “muy poca seguridad alimentaria”.

El tema de la cuarta Cumbre Anual Colorado Sin Hambre (HFCS) es luchar contra la pobreza. Unos 2,000 líderes comunitarios y defensores sociales discuten las maneras en que pueden colaborar para mejorar el acceso de más coloradeños a más alimentos saludables; y en la cumbre de este año, tendrán en común más que su pasión por el tema.
Algunos han padecido hambre o la padecen, y tienen experiencia en los programas y servicios de los que hablarán. Kathy Underhill, directora ejecutiva de Hunger Free Colorado (Colorado Libre de Hambre), dice que quieren ayudar a terminar con los estigmas sobre la pobreza que hacen que mucha gente guarde silencio y que otros ni cuenta se den del problema.
“Realmente no hay lugar en el discurso público para hablar sobre las penurias que pasa uno. Y creo que es un círculo vicioso que impide la discusión sobre los factores sistémicos que hay en juego y que son los que crean esas situaciones.”

Underhill le da crédito a la colaboración que impulsa el progreso logrado por el estado desde que Colorado Libre de Hambre (HFC) se formó, en 2009. Tan solo en este año, las nuevas leyes estatales permiten que algunas escuelas sirvan el desayuno en los salones de clase para asegurar que se alimente a más estudiantes, y dan créditos fiscales a granjeros por donar su producto a los bancos de alimentos.

Cifras recientes del “USDA” muestran que casi el 14 por ciento de los coloradeños tienen dificultades para pagar dietas que contengan una buena variedad de alimentos saludables. Jim Weill, quien encabeza el Food Research and Action Center (Centro de Investigación y Acción Alimentaria), considera que eso contrasta drásticamente con la imagen de un estado considerado próspero.

“Colorado es rico si se promedia el ingreso de todos. Pero el hecho de que la desigualdad vaya creciendo no implica que esa riqueza abarque a todos. Para la tercera parte más baja de la pirámide de población, los salarios han estado decreciendo, igual que ganancias, en las dos o tres últimas décadas.”

Weill es uno de los oradores del evento. La lista incluye a la Hermana Simone Campbell, organizadora del grupo nacional de defensoría social “Nuns On the Bus”, Monjas en Autobús.


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California's program helping low-income families buy fresh fruit and vegetables is on the chopping block and health care advocates are asking legislators to save the Market Match program.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed cutting most of the program's $35 million budget to help close the state's budget shortfall.

Sophia Vaccaro, a participant in Market Match from Echo Park, said she depends on Market Match in more ways than one.

"It helps people being able to stretch their budget further," Vaccaro explained. "Then, I think it helps the community, in that it creates a sense of camaraderie at the farmers' market and makes people more invested in the community itself."

The program matches every dollar CalFresh customers spend on fresh fruits and vegetables at a farmer's market up to between $10 and $20 per day. It is active at 294 sites across the state and is partially paid for through federal matching funds.

Dr. John Maa, surgeon at Marin Health Medical Center and board member of the San Francisco Bay Area chapter of the American Heart Association, said Market Match promotes healthy eating and boosts the local farm economy.

"An improved diet really will have long-term meaningful impacts on health, and also reduce health care costs," Maa explained. "It really helps to sustain the growers and the merchants. I guess it's a win-win-win."

Siu Han Cheung, outreach coordinator for the Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation and board member of the Heart of the City Farmers' Market, argued the program is vital to residents across the state.

"If the Market Match will be cut, that is terrible," Cheung stressed. "That means they have less money to buy their food. So, Market Match is very important for the low-income families and the seniors."

Legislators and the governor are working toward the May budget revisions, and must pass a balanced budget by June 15.

South Dakotans face high prices at the grocery store and some are working to ease the burden.

A new report from the Federal Trade Commission finds some grocery retailers used the supply-chain disruptions of the pandemic to raise prices and collect bigger profits, even after supply chains regulated.

One South Dakota group is trying to reduce sticker shock by targeting the state sales tax on groceries. Dakotans for Health is sponsoring a citizens ballot initiative to repeal the 4.2 % tax.

Rick Weiland, co-founder of the group, said lower food bills would make a meaningful difference for some.

"People of modest means, or low income hardworking families, disproportionately spend upwards of 30% on food," Weiland pointed out. "This is going to be helpful."

South Dakota is one of only two states in the country to apply its full state sales tax rate to groceries with no exemptions, Mississippi being the other. More than 9% of South Dakotans are considered food insecure, meaning they do not always have access to enough healthy food.

The grocery tax has been a popular topic among state legislators in recent years. Republican Gov. Kristi Noem even campaigned on the promise to repeal it. Critics have said proposing a tax cut without a way to finance it is irresponsible.

Weiland pointed out Gov. Noem had a formula spelled out when she brought forward her bill in 2023, which was voted down.

"She had no problem defending her position in front of the Legislature, in terms of how much revenue the state was going to lose and where they could make it up," Weiland recounted.

The initiative needs about 17,500 signatures by next month to appear on the November ballot.

Colorado families must sign up before the end of April to receive $120 per child to buy food through the new Summer EBT program approved by Congress. Families with incomes that qualify for free and reduced-price school lunches - up to around $49,000 a year for a family of three - must enroll through their school.

Anya Rose, public policy director with Hunger Free Colorado, said as school cafeterias close their doors for summer, EBT cards can help kids get the nutrition they need to return to school in the fall ready to learn.

"A lot of families will be automatically enrolled, if they are enrolled in programs like TANF, SNAP, Medicaid. If you are unsure, then talk to your school about filling out the household income form to make sure you can qualify this year if you're income eligible," she said.

EBT grocery cards can be used to buy fruits and vegetables, milk, cheese, eggs, breads, meat, fish and other food at all grocery stores that accept SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program formerly known as food stamps.

Rose noted grocery cards will be sent by mail, so it's important to make sure schools have your correct address.

Some 337,000 Colorado children are eligible for the program that is expected to generate up to $72 million in economic activity across the state. Grocery cards are available to all income-qualifying households regardless of their immigration status.

"There are no immigration eligibility requirements. And accessing Summer EBT and school meals do not impact immigration status in any way," she explained.

Filling out your school's household income application, sometimes called a school meal or benefit form, will also bring critical federal dollars into Colorado's Healthy School Meals for All initiative. It's currently running $24 million over budget. Rose adds there are other benefits for families who participate in Summer EBT.

"That same form can also qualify students to get discounts on school-related fees for things like SAT or ACT testing, or athletics or band or field trips or other activities," she said.