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Southwest Colorado SNAP emergency response

On November 1st, over 12,000 residents across Southwest Colorado did not receive their federal SNAP food assistance benefits, amounting to about $2.19 million. Many families who rely on this support to put food on the table are facing shortages.

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Small, independent grocery stores also stand to lose a significant portion of revenue that comes from SNAP benefits.

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Community organizations, government institutions, and individuals like you are working together to ensure no one goes hungry.  This 5 county, 97 partner coalition is mobilizing emergency food resources, coordinating donations, and advocating for urgent government action.

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​We need everyone — residents, local leaders, and businesses — to step up and help.

 

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Important updates and more details on this situation here.

IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR FOOD

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  • Hunger Free Colorado Food Resource Hotline: (855) 855-4626

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HOW YOU CAN HELP

This fund equitably distributes rapid, flexible support to emergency food relief work across Southwest Colorado in San Juan, La Plata, Montezuma, Dolores, and Archuleta counties, and the UMT and Southern Ute Indian Tribes, ensuring that no neighbor goes hungry during this critical time. 

This is a separate fund managed specifically in and for Montezuma and Dolores counties, providing rapid, flexible support to food security organizations to meet urgent food and supply needs during the SNAP funding emergency.  Learn more and see volunteer opportunities here.

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Note: food assistance providers are prioritizing requests for monetary donations over food items at this time.

  • Shop at small, independent grocery stores!

    • Independently owned grocers are potentially about to lose a significant portion of their revenue that comes from SNAP benefits.

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  • Advocate:

    • Contact the USDA to demand that they use contingency funding to pay for SNAP benefits while the government is shut down: 

      • Mountain Plains Regional Food & Nutrition Office: 303-844-0300, option 4

    • Contact our congressional representatives to ask that they advocate for reinstated SNAP benefits. Contacts and call script here.

    • ​Share your story of how the government shutdown is impacting you and your family.

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donate

cerf: snap relief fund

Our emergency food assistance providers shared that the #1 way to help their efforts is through cash donations. Every $1 you provide enables them to purchase $7 in food.

 

This fund equitably distributes rapid, flexible support to emergency food relief work in San Juan, La Plata, Montezuma, Dolores, and Archuleta counties, and the UMT and Southern Ute Indian Tribes, ensuring that no neighbor goes hungry during this critical time.  

 

Funds go directly to our network of food assistance providers, such as the 27 food pantries in our region.  Funds will go where the need is greatest, as determined by emergency response groups composed of governmental bodies, community organizations, and experts in each county. 

SNAP Relief More Info

The Suspension of November SNAP Benefits, 
and What We’re Doing About It

November 13th, 2025 Update:

From the Colorado Department of Human Services website:

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“Coloradans who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to help purchase healthy food will begin receiving full payments for the month of November 2025. CDHS will start loading payments onto Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards and SNAP participants will see payments on their EBT cards by Thursday afternoon. Visit cdhs.colorado.gov/SNAP for the latest information on SNAP.”

 

The Southwest Colorado SNAP Emergency Response is continuing to monitor the needs of our community as benefits are restored.  The effects of this program’s disruption have rippled far and wide throughout our food system, affecting the financial wellbeing of individual households and small independent grocers, as local food assistance providers have seen remarkable increases in demand.  For example, the demand for food at Good Sam’s Food Pantry in Cortez has increased by 160% over the last two weeks.  The community’s donations have been helping to meet that demand. 

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November 8, 2025 Update: 

Because of a United States Supreme Court ruling late yesterday, Colorado SNAP benefits are frozen again. November benefits were released to about 5% of Colorado’s SNAP recipients prior to that court order. Colorado continues to work closely with federal agencies in an effort to access these vital resources. As before, our stance is that our regional SWCO Colorado SNAP Response efforts will continue to operate and focus on the needs of our community.  

 

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November 7, 2025 Update:

Early the evening of November 7th, Governor Polis issued a statement that the state was attempting to release full benefits to Colorado SNAP benefits by Monday, November 10. 

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Regardless of whether the USDA fully complies with the court order and releases funds to our state, we remain steadfast in our commitment to ensuring that no one in our community goes hungry. Our regional response to this food security crisis will continue with determination and care. We are deeply grateful for the many generous hearts who have stepped forward to help, and we draw strength from the collective spirit of generosity that defines this community. Together, we will continue to create abundance and nourishment for all throughout this holiday season.

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Background:​

During the federal government shutdown, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) chose not to release contingency funds that would allow states to pay SNAP (food assistance) benefits for November.  On November 6th, the Trump administration was ordered by a federal judge to fully fund SNAP benefits, and rather than comply, the administration has appealed the decision.  It's currently unclear what happens next, and we expect there to continue to be delays in getting these benefits to households.

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This means Colorado's approximately $120 million of November SNAP benefits are currently on hold.  In the five counties that make up Southwest Colorado alone, SNAP issues an average of $2.19 million in benefits to 12,000 people and 6,500 households monthly.

 

Community organizations, governing bodies, and individuals are working together to make sure all our neighbors are able to feed their families.  This 5 county, 97 partner coalition is mobilizing emergency food resources, coordinating donations, and advocating for urgent government action.

 

We’re expecting that our local emergency food assistance programs (like food pantries and soup kitchens) are about to see a considerable increase in demand. We’ll need significant resources to meet these needs, donate to the relief fund here, and your donation will be equitably distributed where the need is greatest across our region.

 

We also expect that our small, independent grocery stores are about to see a meaningful decrease in sales.  These pillars are essential in feeding rural communities, and we’re working to make sure they stay open, resourced, and supported.  Shop at small, independent grocery stores to help them stay open!

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 Important things to know: 

 

  • Coloradans should continue applying for benefits and can continue using their food benefits to buy food. Retailers are required to continue accepting EBT cards.*

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  • October benefits for nutrition programs–including SNAP and WIC–are NOT impacted.

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  • Colorado public school students can continue to access free meals at school.

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  • WIC, Double Up Food Bucks, and Colorado SNAP Produce Bonus continue to operate as usual.

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*If you encounter a situation where that is no longer the case, please contact Lauren Ames at

foodsecurity@goodfoodcollective.org so we can help the retailer get back online and accept cards.

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Questions?  Want to get involved?  Email info@goodfoodcollective.org

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