The U.S. Department of Agriculture stated it will not be issuing benefits on Nov. 1 for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, due to the federal government shutdown. Nearly 42 million people across the country could go without food and nutrition benefits, and over 600 of them live in Summit County.

The Summit Board of County Commissioners held a discussion about how to help SNAP beneficiaries with local nonprofits at its Oct. 28 work session. Commissioner Tamara Pogue said SNAP benefits in Summit County add up to about $226,000 per month, and because it is a federal program, the state cannot load money onto SNAP cards, even if it had the money to do so.

“This conversation now, I think, is largely falling on counties as the state’s human service implementers,” Pogue said. “We are deeply concerned about the impact that this is going to have on those 600 people.”

During the Oct. 28 work session, the commissioners and nonprofit leaders did not finalize a response.

However, Pogue provided updates on the county’s plan Oct. 30. She said that, pending approval at the next board meeting Nov. 4, the county will make a donation to the Family & Intercultural Resource Center to offset costs for additional weekly food purchases at its food market and fund grocery cards for SNAP recipients valued at 45% of their benefits.

Brianne Snow, the executive director of the Family & Intercultural Resource Center, said Oct. 30 that the center will order 50% more food than usual and distribute it through “pop-up food markets,” which allow families to go to the center two additional times each week and pick up nonperishable items that the center does not usually carry.

Snow encouraged those interested in helping SNAP recipients to make direct donations to nonprofits and volunteer their time.

Work session discussion

Representatives from the Family & Intercultural Resource Center, Smart Bellies, CAFE Food Rescue, Mountain Dreamers and the Summit Foundation attended the Oct. 28 work session.

Pogue said Front Range counties have been publicizing food banks and mentioned Gov. Jared Polis’ call on private donors to give directly to food banks, but she said those strategies may not be as effective in rural mountain communities.

Some counties plan to donate to local food resources, Pogue said, and others are considering “more direct financial assistance” where they give SNAP recipients grocery store gift cards or bank cards. 

County Manager Dave Rossi said Clear Creek County plans to issue cards through a bank to SNAP recipients. He said Clear Creek plans to restrict purchases on the cards to food, but Rossi said Clear Creek had not yet finalized its plan.

Pogue said the county cannot backfill the full $226,000 per month, especially not knowing how long the shutdown will last.

“It is not lost on us, as the board, that your systems that you are serving this community with are already under strain,” Pogue said. “We are also very concerned about what this is going to do to resources that are already strapped.”

The group talked about what the impact on local nonprofits could look like. Snow said her organization’s food market spends around $12,000 on food per week. Snow said it is hard to know how much more the nonprofit might need to spend without knowing what the demand will be.

“Are we replacing everything that they would have gotten, or is it a portion?” Snow asked. “How many people are we taking on? How much can we split with other food providers?”

Snow estimated the food market expects to see anywhere from 150-300 more people than its normal 600-650 weekly visitors. That would translate to as much as a $6,000 increase per week in its food purchasing.

“People will leave if they can’t eat here,” Snow said. “It’s a workforce crisis, too.”

The group also discussed how monetary donations to local food resources are more effective than donations of food. Pogue said monetary donations do not require physical storage space, and Snow said food banks buying food in bulk have more purchasing power than individuals do.

Commissioner Eric Mamula said donated money should go to the organizations, not individuals. Pogue suggested the Summit Foundation take in donations and act as a clearinghouse, spreading funds to the other community nonprofits.

Suzanne Lifgren, the Summit Foundation’s senior marketing and communications officer, wrote in an email Oct. 30 that the foundation will not be creating a central distribution fund. The foundation encourages those who want to help to directly donate to the Family & Intercultural Resource Center, Smart Bellies and CAFE Food Rescue.

“These trusted organizations are already well equipped to monitor needs, coordinate volunteers, and deliver food and resources directly to families across Summit County,” Lifgren wrote.

Pogue and Mamula agreed they would be “comfortable” covering costs for baby formula, which WIC director Whitney Horner had previously said costs around $13,000 per month, if WIC benefits stop as well.

The Family & Intercultural Resource Center maintains a food resource calendar for those in need to see where they can find food any day of the week in Summit County. Snow encouraged others at the work session to share the calendar with their communities. 

While county officials and nonprofits plan for SNAP benefits to stop Nov. 1, state and federal politicians have made efforts to keep them going through the shutdown.

About two dozen states, including Colorado, are suing the Trump administration for not tapping into emergency reserve funds for the SNAP program. Colorado U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper joined other Democrats to introduce a bill to provide funding for SNAP and the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, according to a news release from Bennet’s office.