State Partnerships

Campaign to End Childhood Hunger in Colorado

The Problem: Childhood Hunger in Colorado

In 2008, 49 million people in the United States faced hunger, including one in five children. In Colorado, 17.2 percent of Colorado's children are food insecure. These children live in households where there is a lack of access to enough food to meet their basic needs. Hunger and under-nutrition can have profound effects on a child's long-term health, behavior and ability to learn and succeed in school. Hungry children are more likely to:

  • have impaired cognitive functioning and diminished capacity to learn;
  • achieve lower test scores and overall school performance;
  • experience school absences, tardiness and school suspensions;
  • have weaker immune systems and be hospitalized more often;
  • have more stomachaches, headaches, colds, and ear infections;
  • suffer from fatigue; and
  • exhibit behavioral difficulties.

The Campaign to End Childhood Hunger in Colorado

In response, Governor Bill Ritter, Share Our Strength and Hunger Free Colorado are launching the Campaign to End Childhood Hunger in Colorado. The Campaign is a statewide, public-private coalition of key stakeholders who will immediately work to increase the number of Colorado children getting school breakfasts and summer lunches. The Campaign will also develop and implement a comprehensive five-year plan to end childhood hunger in Colorado by ensuring that all children have access to nutritious food at home, at school and in their communities.

Fortunately, there are federal food and nutrition programs available to serve children. To-date, these programs have been under-utilized in Colorado, creating an opportunity to meaningfully address childhood hunger without stressing the state's budget.

The Campaign will increase participation in these programs by addressing the lack of awareness among children and families about the programs, and by reducing systems barriers in accessing the programs including complicated application procedures for enrolling in programs and other factors that get in the way of feeding Colorado's kids.

“Today, I stood in the cafeteria of Place Bridge Academy in Denver Colorado and looked out on an audience that included school children, non profits, the faith community, foundations, the media and local and state government and watched their faces as a student read a letter of greetings from President Obama wishing us success in our efforts to end childhood hunger in Colorado. I was honored to stand alongside Billy Shore, Governor Ritter, Lt. Governor O'Brien and Senator Bennet who are all committed to ensuring that each child in Colorado has nutritious food to eat each day. In addition to the wonderful student, we heard from a single Mom who struggles to put food on the table for her children. She bravely told what a relief it is for her and other parents to know their kids will eat breakfast at school so they can start the day ready to learn.

“Hunger Free Colorado is excited about the partnership we have embarked upon with Share Our Strength. We know, without a doubt, that together, we WILL end childhood hunger in Colorado. Failure is not an option - there are too many kids are counting on us.”

Kathy Underhill, Executive Director, Hunger Free Colorado

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