Hunger Free Colorado (HFC) began a unique partnership in 2011 with the Denver Department of Human Services (DDHS). This partnership was initially launched to support the administering agencies of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in Colorado. There are 64 counties within Colorado, and SNAP is administered through each county Human Service office. The benefits for the assistance programs are funded through the federal government’s budget and distributed to each state to qualifying clients. States are responsible for the cost of administering the benefit programs. Due to many budget cuts the Human Services offices have been left to provide these services on minimal funding. Recognizing the limitations of these budget restraints, HFC was one of the first non-profits to become a partner with the State of Colorado for their Food Assistance outreach plan. Through these partnerships with the State of Colorado and the DDHS, HFC has gained immense knowledge and expertise in SNAP and has been vital in the organization’s overall work with SNAP and efforts to increase participation in Colorado.

Maryann McLendon, an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer with HFC, helped launch the partnership. The partnership’s purpose is to expand participation in SNAP by providing clients with the proper guidance on how to navigate the entire process of applying for food assistance. This allows clients to complete their applications accurately, provide proper verifications and prepare updated paperwork after receiving their benefits and help to ensure they do not fall off of the programs once enrolled.

The partnership took five months to establish before HFC could bring in a team of volunteers led by Maryann. This team worked at DDHS to help with the backlog of paperwork, answer client questions regarding the program and to assist clients one on one with the SNAP application. In December 2011, Maryann recruited the first volunteer. During a one month period this volunteer worked 28 hours and in those hours assisted with 37 applications and reached out to 400 people. In March, a total of five volunteers worked 179 hours, assisting with 216 applications and reaching 2,023 clients.

By the end of 2015, HFC is hopeful that the state will go from 48% participation in food assistance to 75% through partnerships like these. Following Denver County’s partnership with HFC, Arapahoe County is working with HFC to tailor a volunteer program for their office as well. This is a clear indicator that the model is versatile and can be replicated throughout the state with minimal adjustments. The goal for HFC and this volunteer model is that four additional counties will also replicate this model and reach over 2,000 clients per month, with a total of over 100,000 families being served per year through this innovative volunteer partnership with DHS offices.

The metrics tracked help to demonstrate the enormously positive impact of this program spearheaded by the VISTA. This initiative has helped to provide clients with a positive experience at the Human Services office, and a higher likelihood of remaining on the SNAP program. These clients now have additional access to food and not focusing solely on food pantries.