10/31/2025
Dear Friends & Supporters,
As the federal government shutdown stretches into its second month, the impact on our community has become increasingly severe. SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits will be suspended beginning November 1, leaving thousands of families and individuals without the means to buy food.
For many, SNAP is their only source of reliable meals. Without it, people experiencing homelessness and poverty will be among the hardest hit. This has devastating implications for thousands of Coloradans. Food banks and local shelters, including St. Francis Center, are now serving as the final safety net to help meet growing hunger needs during this crisis.
Here’s what the situation looks like in Denver:
-1 in 6 Coloradans rely on SNAP benefits to afford food, compared to 1 in 8 nationwide.
-An estimated 100,000 SNAP households in Denver will lose access to about 10.5 million pounds of food during the month of November.
The result is a perfect storm of increased need and reduced resources, creating a food emergency that will be felt most deeply by those already struggling with food insecurity and homelessness.
At St. Francis Center, we’re stepping up to respond. Using funds raised from our annual Gala, we’ll provide 150 sack lunches per day at our Day Center from this Saturday, November 1st – Monday, November 3rd. Starting Tuesday, November 4th, we’ll rely on community support to continue providing meals for as long as this shutdown continues.
Sign up to donate sack lunches here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0D4AA4AC2FA1FD0-60055336-saint #/
We’re also calling for meal support for residents in our four permanent supportive housing sites. All of our residents have a history of chronic homelessness, live with disabling conditions, and most rely heavily on SNAP to meet their basic nutritional needs. Without this small but vital allocation, many will face the impossible choice between eating and staying in their homes. These residents have worked so hard to rebuild stability, and we cannot let this food crisis undo that progress.
To help, we’re organizing community meals across our housing sites. Group meals are a meaningful way for families, friends, or colleagues to serve together and show residents that their community cares for them during this difficult time.
Sign up to provide meals for housing residents here:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C054AACA82AABF4C61-60070044-stfrancis #/
You can also help by hosting a food drive, encouraging local restaurants to donate meals, or sharing this post to spread awareness. Every act of generosity makes a real and immediate difference.
When systems falter, community steps up. Thank you for standing with St. Francis Center—and with the hundreds of people who will depend on us for nourishment and hope in the coming days.
https://mailchi.mp/sfcdenver.org/donations-needed-for-st-francis-center-10913368
