Mile High United Way ready to help tens of thousands of Coloradans who may lose SNAP benefits

On Monday, the Senate failed for the 11th time to advance a House-passed measure to fund the government and end the ongoing government shutdown. As a result, organizations like food banks across our state are preparing for a surge in demand.

Approximately 600,000 Coloradans who rely on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits to feed their families might lose them.

"This is a statewide problem," said Wade Treichler, COO of Mile High United Way. "As of Nov. 1, there's concern that SNAP cards for people who access the benefit will not have access to those funds."

For the past 22 years, the Mile High United Way has worked with county entities to enable access to federal funds, including SNAP benefits, over the phone.

"We always want to meet the caller where they're at," Treichler said. "We get about 1,300 calls a month for food benefits or folks seeking food benefits and we see an increase around the holidays to around 2,000 calls a month."

He says they are bracing for that increase and more. His team is ready to help people who are navigating this tough time through Colorado's 221 service line.

"We've been here before. Colorado is well-positioned to weather a crisis like this. We have a robust food pantry system, and obviously our 211 system can help to make referrals across the state," Treichler said.

"Colorado has an amazing ecosystem of benefits, and we want them to access them. Our goal is to make sure that when somebody's calling on what may be one of the hardest days of their lives, we are there to answer the call and make sure we have information available to send them to a resource in the community."

Dial 2-1-1, to reach Mile High United Way's 211 Help Center, or text your zip code to 898-211. You can also search for resources online or live chat with a staff member to help.