Wednesday, August 26, 2026, 10:30 a.m. (Denver time), City & County Building, Room 391
The Health and Safety Committee held its weekly meeting on August 26, featuring the annual update on the Healthy Food for Denver's Kids (HFDK) program from Denver Department of Public Health and Environment staff. Staff reported on food insecurity data, the 0.08% sales tax fund, seven completed funding rounds (nearly $115 million granted across 202 awards), the 7th cohort's 11 contracts totaling about $6.5 million, and the program's sunset in 2028 unless reauthorized by voters. Representatives from grantee Denver Inner City Parish described how the funding transformed their food pantry operations. Council members asked about restrictions limiting funding to children versus seniors, SNAP donation distribution confusion, funding gaps versus need, grant review processes, and capacity building, and expressed strong support for reauthorization. The committee noted one item remained on consent and adjourned.
0:02 But yeah, ride last worlds.
0:08 Match with
0:13 going in the hole in own home.
0:18 We club where we go town wait.
0:23 So my dad decided to move.
0:28 Call for had a neighbor who
0:32 called Greenwood. In this
0:36 neighborhood, which is to
0:41 Black Wall Street. They had
0:46 everything. They restaurant.
0:52 They had hoped to tell. We had
0:56 a black newspaper, everything
1:01 you could think of to be
1:04 self-sufficient. A lot
1:10 community.
1:16 Lived in Bartlesville
1:22 Oklahoma, which is about 50
1:27 miles north Tulsa. So when my
1:31 aunt turned 100 the race
1:35 massacre, he met. She was
1:40 stabbed about 7 years old.
1:45 1921. And my dad was infant
1:49 we've had that it might. Well,
1:54 we didn't have no clothes on
1:59 who just had a we didn't have
2:04 a lot of will it with a few
2:08 the back to we couldn't afford
2:12 one. We was no way there were
2:16 6 children, you know,
2:20 throughout kid in the wagon.
2:25 And they laughed and they went
2:29 to Claremore. And that's how
2:33 they escaped. But there had to
2:37 have live in everything. Was
2:40 burned up. Leave from Sheriff
2:43 Bob. They were right in the
2:46 news. 2. They just burn that
2:50 neighborhood home. They were
2:52 every time a way you could
2:56 people would just murdered,
3:00 shot. Whatever some some of
3:05 the people are thrown in the
3:10 river. Just massive it Africa.
3:14 We will bomb. Out on the
3:17 windows. My bad then just give
3:21 I love it.
3:24 In my to this day, she does
3:27 not sleep in a sheets, fleets.
3:31 She is the 108. Spend asleep
3:35 MAY. Never leaves a
3:38 We We weren't allowed talk.
3:42 Then my sister just nation the
3:46 about 2 3 years old. It was
3:49 traumatic for me. It is a day
3:53 you been students. Crest.
3:57 I can't thank our witnesses
4:01 for being with us this
4:05 morning. We we really do look
4:08 forward to your testimony and
4:12 I'll tell you, we don't have
4:15 many centenarians testified
4:18 before committees. Sadly, many
4:21 Americans today are not even
4:24 aware that this massacre took
4:27 place. And hope that this
4:29 hearing conserved educate the
4:32 public. About what happened.
4:35 Still smell smoke and see from
4:39 her. Still seemed like
4:42 businsses be in Bern. I still
4:46 hear airplanes flying
4:49 overhead. I hear the screams.
4:52 We live with it every day. And
4:56 we plant Greenwood. Was and
5:00 what it could have now are you
5:02 you all they get We are here.
5:05 It could happen. The view. We
5:09 don't know. We have foundation
5:12 called guess Greenwood. All
5:15 come about the money will put
5:18 age occasion. Needs. Wrong.
5:22 When you look at that
5:25 neighborhood and then you go
5:29 to other parts of Tulsa and
5:34 you look at driving And that
5:38 that neighborhood not. Down
5:42 with that. I want some that
5:46 put a young black people. Back
5:49 to Washington, And we met Vice
5:52 PRESIDENT Kamala Harris. We
5:55 went to a tough and we've got
5:58 to meet PRESIDENT Biden in you
6:01 know, famous people. I would
6:04 like him to see. Some results
6:06 fee. Something positive
6:09 happen. I really would before
6:13 a lot. Brings them all We've
6:17 got bounce, but why people
6:21 love that? What about women
6:27 want? A man started the in
6:31 Cushing, Oklahoma. So I had a
6:34 it's pretty Po boys. We decide
6:38 to moved spend with to meet
6:43 with the best would be a job
6:47 of this said ms some people do
6:50 this give you have like my who
6:54 just said, you know, I've got
6:59 a family and go forward. I'm
7:03 thankful be. List. It's not
7:08 district. What I love the I
7:11 like out of Western music.
7:13 About it point. I know that
7:17 family about boldface. I've
7:20 been the we want go to I love
7:24 people. Moved live mission. So
7:27 I'm proud of my life.
7:31 I think the mom. Lived the
7:35 home and put bill. Love life.
7:39 Welcome back to this weekly
7:43 meeting of the Health and
7:46 Safety Committee with Denver
7:49 City Council. Coverage of the
7:53 Health and Safety Committee
7:57 starts now.
8:00 And good morning. Today's
8:04 AUGUST. 26 This is the Health
8:08 and Safety Committee meeting
8:12 mines there a lot. And I'm
8:15 honored to be the chair of
8:19 committee as well as a city
8:24 council member representing
8:27 all the findings should We
8:30 have briefing this morning to
8:34 healthy food for Denver Kids.
8:39 Annual update. But before we
8:42 go to presentation will be
8:45 turned over to city council
8:49 members for reconstruction to
8:52 start our right combining
8:55 immense talent replaced him or
8:58 district plan. And a good
9:02 morning. Paul Kashmann south
9:05 time British accent. Jaime
9:09 Torres was Denver district. 3
9:14 and it looks like we've got
9:19 some city council members all
9:23 aligned. Kevin sell, forced to
9:28 thank he is PRESIDENT.
9:32 Remember, Campbell, on online
9:35 as well. I at this time. What
9:39 with that? Very excited to
9:43 turn it over to Benson rtp ag
9:46 Department countries
9:50 themselves their guests at the
9:54 table and turned over to
9:58 presentation. Well, before we
10:03 do that, we have another
10:07 council member right on
10:12 morning for what like
10:16 District, COUNCILWOMAN, all
10:20 the others. So now I'll turn
10:25 it over warrant all member
10:29 countries yourselves ingested
10:33 your home to the audience that
10:39 you want. Know that we talking
10:44 downturn for your
10:49 presentation. Excellent. Thank
10:53 you. Good morning, everyone.
10:57 Lauren, how she her pronouns
11:02 healthy food for Denver's kids
11:08 supervisor out of the Denver
11:14 Department of Public Health
11:20 and Environment passed over to
11:25 Good morning, everyone. I'm
11:31 Amber grants administrator at
11:38 Denver Department of Public
11:43 Health and Environment. She
11:49 her pronouns. Thanks to be
11:54 here with you all today Jason
11:59 Torres. Executive director of
12:03 the Denver inner City Morning
12:08 Room and Beg deputy directors
12:12 the minor-league. Here's they
12:17 want to any of your other
12:21 friends in the audience. We
12:27 have our team, Genesis crowd
12:32 just Merison Micaela Mullins
12:36 and Emma. Well, to your all on
12:40 the healthy food for Devers
12:45 kids team in tv, Ph d, thank
12:49 you all for being on a walk.
12:52 The PRESIDENT Remember,
12:55 Campbell the floor is second
12:59 on. Thank you. So we like to
13:02 start our ddphe presentations
13:05 by grounding everyone in our
13:07 departmental public Health
13:09 framework. We know the healthy
13:13 food, access and food security
13:16 are in and of themselves.
13:21 Social determinants of But
13:24 they're also very collected to
13:27 connected to other social
13:31 determinants of health as
13:34 well, including economic
13:37 stability, education, health
13:40 care, built environment and
13:44 community context. Just work
13:47 also fits squarely within tbt
13:50 is community health assessment
13:54 work in the area of systemic
13:56 racism as well as various
13:59 other departmental priorities.
14:01 And we know the public health
14:03 impacts of food, security,
14:05 better mental, physical and
14:08 community health. So this is
14:10 an overview. What we're gonna
14:14 be touching on during today's
14:17 annual briefing. We're going
14:21 to give a quick recap of the
14:24 current state of food
14:27 insecurity in Denver before
14:30 jumping into more background
14:32 on the healthy food. Forget
14:34 first kids or hfd k Program
14:37 Commission. We'll share a bit
14:38 about the impact, overview of
14:40 the funding. We have a grantee
14:43 spotlight. We have our
14:46 partners here from Denver,
14:49 inner city parents joining us
14:52 to share a couple of minutes
14:54 about what this work looks
14:57 like in their community before
14:59 it passed over to Amber to
15:01 talk about our 7th annual
15:03 operation, the application
15:06 process and contract will
15:07 touch on financials. And then
15:09 briefly close out with
15:10 information on sunset. So in
15:12 terms food, insecurity in
15:15 Denver and twenty-two 5 d p g
15:18 ran a survey that reached over
15:20 3,000 Denver rates across all
15:22 11 city council districts and
15:24 asked folks in the last you or
15:27 someone in your family have to
15:30 cut the size of or skip a meal
15:32 due to not having enough money
15:35 for Those results showed that
15:38 more than one in about 35%
15:40 Denver writes said yes to that
15:43 question and are insecure.
15:45 That includes about one in 5
15:47 children having meals cut or
15:50 skip it. And 68% of all survey
15:52 respondents had food is too
15:55 expensive as the number one
15:57 barrier. We know that food
15:59 insecurity is likely to
16:02 Kentucky to continue to rise
16:05 due to inflation, federal
16:08 changes to snap and Medicaid
16:12 and overall decreases in
16:14 funding available for soon
16:18 Cummings. And we know that
16:21 this is an issue not only
16:24 locally but nationally and our
16:27 city really has opportunity to
16:30 in this area. We know that
16:33 healthy food is essential for
16:36 all to thrive. Food.
16:39 Insecurity is a clear
16:42 indicator of our city's
16:44 affordability crisis. Survey
16:47 results from last year's data
16:50 indicated that families are
16:53 having to make tough economic
16:56 tradeoffs to afford food. So
17:00 they're cutting paying for
17:04 utilities, healthcare,
17:08 transportation or housing And
17:13 these tradeoffs are having
17:17 ripple effects on other areas.
17:21 We know skipping medication
17:25 can lead worse health outcomes
17:28 and skipping read might lead
17:32 to housing I wanted to share
17:35 one quotation from our
17:39 community partner, Kazan Food
17:41 Rescue. That hunger is rarely
17:44 caused by lack of food
17:47 allowing it's often the result
17:50 of systems that make difficult
17:53 for people access to Bility
17:56 dignity and opportunity. So
18:00 this is where healthy food for
18:03 Denver's kids, our Age Fdk
18:06 Commons to address food,
18:10 insecurity and food access at
18:13 the local level on this
18:16 program was established as a
18:19 result. The resident, what
18:23 ballot measure that Denver
18:26 voters approved in 2018
18:30 created a small sales tax
18:33 point, oh, 8% or about a penny
18:37 on a $10 purchase and then
18:40 established a special revenue
18:42 fund for healthy food, access
18:46 education for Denver's youth.
18:49 We started collecting funds in
18:52 2019 and will do so through
18:55 the end of 2028 and all those
18:59 funds we spent down by the end
19:02 of 2029, those funds have to
19:06 princely benefit. Denver
19:10 residents and no more than 10%
19:15 can be used for city
19:18 administration So this
19:22 initiative is really not only
19:25 addressing child hunger today,
19:29 building long-term health
19:34 equity for Denver's most
19:38 vulnerable And this is just an
19:43 overview of the history of the
19:47 program starting voters
19:50 approved the initiative and
19:55 we've been doing annual
19:59 funding opportunities, sense
20:03 2020. The commission really
20:06 drives the funding strategy
20:09 and the decision-making of the
20:13 program. So this is a mayoral
20:18 pointed body of 13 members and
20:22 the Denver Vice Municipal Code
20:26 really outlines exact number
20:31 of seats for membership. And
20:35 so we're grateful there are a
20:39 lot of folks in this room are
20:43 2 current members, COUNCILMAN
20:47 Floor of the address
20:51 councilmember Paul COUNCILMAN
20:55 Torres Council on American
20:58 Bill. We had a lot service on
21:03 the commission from city
21:08 councils are very grateful for
21:14 We also leaders from the city
21:19 community members on that and
21:23 not profit participation on
21:27 the commission as well. And
21:32 this group typically needs
21:35 every other month. And members
21:39 of the public are welcome to
21:42 attend those Ddphe really
21:46 provides the operational
21:51 support for this initiative
21:57 and implement commission's So
22:02 in terms of who's eligible for
22:07 funding, nonprofits, public
22:12 schools, including and Denver
22:16 City agencies can apply
22:20 through competitive grant
22:23 making processees funded
22:27 projects include healthy meals
22:30 and snacks, hands on food,
22:33 education, like gardening and
22:38 cooking classes to
22:42 distribution. Whether that be
22:46 mobile food markets for
22:50 school, food pantries and then
22:53 connections to federal food
22:56 assistance programs like
22:59 outreach and enrollment in
23:02 snap and wic. This is a
23:05 snapshot of some of the
23:07 organizations we are funding
23:10 so logos from our 4th 5004th
23:14 and 6th annual cohorts. I am
23:17 excited to pass it over to one
23:20 of our partners here today on
23:23 Denver in inner city parish to
23:26 share concrete example of what
23:29 this funding is meant for
23:32 their organization and their
23:35 community, group of que. Name
23:38 is Jason Torres. Again,
23:41 executive director of the City
23:44 Parish. And so we've been
23:47 around since about 1960, is an
23:50 organization. Our food pantry
23:52 is the oldest from patchy. One
23:55 of the oldest free patches in
23:58 Denver. And it's gone through
24:01 many iterations. I remember at
24:05 one time in the late 80's
24:08 early 90's. We're it. Are
24:12 building in 19. Got pay going.
24:15 We've served hundreds a month
24:18 stream covid. We're serving
24:21 thousands per And so it's had
24:24 its iterations. I will say
24:27 that free trip to Canada, like
24:29 like the U.S. Lied about when
24:31 found these can be everything
24:33 is impacted because I feel
24:35 like we need pk did for food
24:38 pantries like ours. A at the
24:42 size of our food pantry is and
24:46 how to screen go system around
24:51 the food pantry because then
24:54 we're able to the funding able
24:58 to provide more just beyond
25:03 Downey's going through our
25:06 through mind in getting food.
25:10 We were able to offer a
25:14 healthy program and health
25:17 program as a result of age of
25:20 tk funding. We were able to
25:24 offer an after school meal
25:26 program, female, free Healthy
25:30 Meal program for kids and
25:33 schools in our community. So
25:36 what happened the age of uk
25:39 finds like I said, created eco
25:44 system around food pantries
25:49 and that just wasn't It was
25:52 many, many, many other food
25:56 pantries around Denver and the
26:00 impact on families is really
26:04 great. And it speaks to that
26:07 when families can be
26:10 everything is impacted. So
26:14 when they come to us to get
26:19 food, but they can also get
26:22 services care navigation. How
26:26 so many rooms if they need
26:29 find energy assistance.
26:33 Sometimes even rental
26:37 assistance. We've been able to