LOUISVILLE, CO. — October 22, 2025 — Community Food Share is preparing for a surge in need following notice from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that states have been directed to hold the release of November Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits until federal funding is available.
This temporary pause affects all SNAP households across Colorado. At this time, there is no confirmed date for when or if benefits will be issued. Across the state, approximately $120 million in SNAP benefits are on hold, impacting more than 600,000 families—including more than 22,000 families in Boulder and Broomfield Counties.
In September alone, SNAP provided $4.5 million in grocery assistance across Boulder and Broomfield Counties. If benefits are delayed even one week, the community could lose $1.1 million in grocery purchasing power—leaving thousands of families without the means to buy food and forcing many to seek help from local pantries.
Community Food Share is coordinating closely with state and county partners and its network of more than 40 local hunger relief agencies to help ensure consistent access to fresh, nourishing food. In preparation, the organization has adjusted inventory and purchasing plans and is allocating additional funds to offset potential gaps in donations and federal supply.
Community Food Share faces a shortfall of more than $600,000, which is expected to grow as the organization increases food purchasing and operational capacity to meet the surge in need. The team is preparing for higher inventory turnover, greater purchasing requirements, and added strain on staff and volunteers.
“During yesterday’s roundtable with Rep. Joe Neguse, local hunger relief leaders from across our community underscored that this is an acute crisis—a five-alarm fire that could leave tens of thousands without the food they depend on in the next nine days,” said Kim Da Silva, CEO of Community Food Share. “Even if our worst fears don’t fully materialize, the ripple effects will last for months. Local and state governments are doing what they can to bridge the gap, but the community food network simply cannot fill a $120 million hole alone.”
At the same roundtable, partners across Boulder and Broomfield Counties described extraordinary need already unfolding—what some called a “man-made emergency.” Nonprofits, universities, and local food producers each painted the same picture: resources plateauing while costs climb, and neighbors stretched thin across every demographic. College students working multiple jobs still can’t afford enough to eat; older adults living alone are skipping meals to cover other expenses; and working families are choosing between groceries, gas, and rent.
“When one link in the system is strained, the entire network feels it,” Da Silva said. “From farm fields to meal delivery routes to campus pantries, we’re all drawing from the same empty bucket. And when families face food insecurity, it rarely stops there—it affects housing, transportation, health, and overall stability. It’s a scary and heavy feeling, but our community is resilient, and that’s what gives us hope.”
State and county offices remain open and are still processing new applications and renewals, ensuring eligible households are ready to receive benefits as soon as funding becomes available. However, there may be delays before benefits are issued.
SNAP—the nation’s most effective anti-hunger program—provides nearly ten times the food volume of the Feeding America network. In Colorado, more than 334,000 households representing 615,000 individuals rely on these benefits each month. About half of recipients are children, ten percent are older adults, and fifteen percent live with disabilities—contributing $123 million in grocery purchasing power every month, or $1.48 billion annually, to Colorado’s economy.
Community Food Share and fellow food banks and partner agencies across the state are working to elevate the voices of neighbors directly impacted by this crisis and to urge swift federal action. “We can’t solve the crisis overnight,” Da Silva said, “but we can prevent it from getting worse if we act together and act now. When resources shift, our community steps up—and that partnership is what keeps food on the table for local families. Right now, we need that support more than ever.”
Community members who wish to support the response can visit communityfoodshare.org. Monetary donations are the single most effective way to help right now—every dollar goes further through our wholesale partnerships and statewide network, allowing Community Food Share to turn $1 into roughly three meals’ worth of fresh, nourishing food for local families. Contributions will help purchase and distribute additional food to meet increased demand during the SNAP funding delay.
Neighbors in need of food assistance can find open pantries and programs at communityfoodshare.org/find-food.
For official updates on SNAP benefits, visit cdhs.colorado.gov.
Together with our neighbors, we are creating a community where health is supported, hope is cultivated, and no one has to worry about their next meal. Learn more at communityfoodshare.org.
