Tomorrow, hundreds of thousands of Coloradans will wake up wondering how they’ll afford groceries. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)—which helps more than 600,000 Coloradans, including roughly 300,000 children—is about to hit a devastating pause as federal funds dry up because of the ongoing government shutdown.
According to state officials, the U.S. Department of Agriculture hasn’t released the funds Colorado needs to pay SNAP benefits for November. Without them, the state cannot issue the roughly $120 million that families depend on each month to buy food.
The human cost is immediate: children showing up to school hungry, parents skipping meals so their kids can eat, and food banks bracing for a surge they cannot sustain. But there’s another, often overlooked consequence—a hit to our entire economy.
SNAP isn’t just social assistance; it’s a powerful economic multiplier. Every dollar spent in SNAP benefits generates between $1.50 and $1.80 in economic activity, according to estimates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Think about it: SNAP dollars don’t sit in savings accounts—they’re spent immediately and locally. They pay for groceries at 3,100 local supermarkets in Colorado, fresh produce at neighborhood markets, and dairy, grain, and meat products sourced from Colorado farmers and ranchers. Truck drivers deliver those goods, store clerks stock the shelves, and food manufacturers keep production lines running.
When that flow of spending stops, the ripple effect is felt across the entire supply chain.
It’s not just families on SNAP who suffer; it’s every worker and business that depends on consumer spending.
Beyond the economy, the SNAP shutdown hits schools hard. Teachers and administrators across Colorado already know that hunger shows up in classrooms: kids who can’t focus, behavior challenges, and declining attendance.
That’s why Colorado voters overwhelmingly supported Healthy School Meals for All in 2022 through Proposition FF, ensuring that every student, regardless of income, receives free breakfast and lunch at school.
The program’s success has exceeded expectations—participation is up, stigma is down, and kids are eating healthier, fresher meals. But more meals mean higher costs, and the funding structure created two years ago isn’t keeping up. Without new revenue, schools may be forced to scale back, bringing back paperwork, eligibility hurdles, and stigma—just when families need those meals the most.
Two measures on this year’s ballot, Proposition LL and Proposition MM, are designed to protect and sustain Colorado’s Healthy School Meals for All program—and, importantly, help keep food flowing to families even as federal supports falter.
Proposition LL allows the state to retain about $12.4 million in excess revenue already collected for the school meals program.
Proposition MM raises new, dedicated revenue by limiting certain income tax deductions for Coloradans earning over $300,000 per year. It would generate about $95 million annually to strengthen Healthy School Meals for All and direct any surplus funds to food security programs like SNAP.
Together, LL and MM keep kids fed, stabilize school budgets, and support the food system that underpins both SNAP and school nutrition—from local farmers to cafeteria staff.
The convergence of a SNAP shutdown and a critical school-meal funding vote reveals a truth we can’t ignore: food security is fragile, and our systems are interconnected.
When SNAP dollars disappear, families don’t just go hungry—communities lose jobs, small grocers lose business, and local economies slow. When school meal programs falter, children’s health and education suffer, setting them back for years.
On Monday, Nov. 3, at noon, supporters of Propositions LL and MM will gather at the Colorado State Capitol for a rally and ballot drop. It’s a moment for Coloradans to come together—parents, educators, farmers, and advocates—to demand that every child and every family has enough to eat. RSVP HERE!
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