SUMMER NUTRITION REPORT - Hunger Free Colorado

2012 COLORADO
SUMMER NUTRITION REPORT

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
PART 1: STRATEGIES & STORIES FROM SUMMER 2012
The State Level: Hunger Free Colorado & The Colorado No Kid Hungry Campaign
Increased Human Capital
Enhanced Outreach
Additional Resources
Evaluation & Information Sharing
The Local Level: Sponsors, Sites & Community Partners
Recipe for Success: Moving Meals to Kids
Recipe for Success: Learning & Lunches
Recipe for Success: Involving Community & Government Partners
PART 2: MOVING FORWARD IN 2013
Localizing Summer Food
Targeted Expansion & Capacity Building
Continued Evaluation
CONCLUSION
TABLE 1: TRENDS BY COUNTY IN SFSP AVERAGE DAILY PARTICIPATION (ADP)
TABLE 2: FRP ELIGIBILITY AND SFSP PARTICIPATION BY COUNTY
APPENDIX A: WHAT IS THE SUMMER FOOD SERVICE PROGRAM
APPENDIX B: 2012 SPONSOR ORGANIZATIONS
Hunger Free Colorado is grateful for the support of the Colorado Department of Education’s Office of School Nutrition
and Share Our Strength, one of the other lead partners in the Colorado No Kid Hungry campaign, along with Hunger Free
Colorado and the Office of the Governor.
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2012 COLORADO
SUMMER NUTRITION REPORT
INTRODUCTION
Summer should be a fun and enriching time for all Colorado kids, but for many it
represents a time when children are at the greatest risk of experiencing hunger, losing
access to school meals. With the economic downturn, increased unemployment and
rising food costs, Colorado families are experiencing higher rates of food insecurity.
Between 2000 and 2010, Colorado children living in poverty more than doubled,
affecting 18 percent of our state’s children. 1 Along with increased poverty is deepened
food insecurity, affecting one-quarter of Colorado kids. 2 The effects of poverty and food
insecurity can pose long-term challenges for a child, including compromised physical
and mental development, heightened stress levels, reduced academic readiness and
numerous health risks.
In response to increased poverty and food insecurity, the Colorado No Kid Hungry
campaign was launched in 2009 through a partnership between Hunger Free Colorado,
Share Our Strength and the Office of the Governor. The campaign partners published a
comprehensive five-year plan to ensure access to nutritious food where children live,
learn and play. The plan’s first goal is to “provide children access to healthy meals
during the summer” by expanding the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). 3 SFSP
is a federally funded child nutrition program established as a safeguard for children
eligible for free or reduced-price (FRP) meals during the school year, particularly those
in food- insecure households. 4
35,000
30,000
25,000
20,000
15,000
10,000
5,000
0
Figure 1: June Lunch ADP
20,759 23,219
2010
29,054
2011 2012
BETWEEN 2000 AND 2010,
COLORADO CHILDREN
LIVING IN POVERTY
MORE THAN DOUBLED,
AFFECTING 18 PERCENT
OF OUR STATE’S
CHILDREN.
Despite increased poverty and food insecurity rates in Colorado, SFSP participation is
low compared to the number of children who access FRP lunch during school. Almost
220,000 (18 percent) of Colorado children participated daily in FRP lunch during the
2011-2012 school year. 5 When school released for summer vacation, only 29,000
children participated in SFSP lunch during June of 2012 (Figure 1). While recent years
has shown growing participation in SFSP, there are many factors limiting access for
children in need of nutritious summer meals.
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2012 COLORADO
SUMMER NUTRITION REPORT
REPORTS FROM
SPONSORS REVEALED
FINANCIAL NEED FROM
NEWER AND SMALLER
SPONSORS TO COVER
START-UP COSTS:
“This grant was instrumental
in providing the equipment
needed to properly run
the Summer Food Service
Program... Through this grant
we purchased tables, chairs,
medical kits, canopies
and cleaning supplies
for the food service. We
also purchased sporting
equipment, craft supplies
and books to help draw our
students to the site.” - Scott
Moore, Holy Cross Lutheran
Church, first-year sponsor
and site in Jefferson County
“The grant was huge
in purchasing the extra
equipment we needed for
increased participation
as well as helping us
successfully implement a
daily salad bar.” - Cañon
City School Food & Nutrition
Director, rural sponsor
To continue Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) expansion efforts, the following
report identifies barriers to growth and access as well as success stories and ideas for
current and potential stakeholders engaged with SFSP. Through ongoing expansion and
improvement, more children will have access to nutritious summer meals and federal
reimbursement dollars will support food service economies and youth programming
statewide.
PART 1: STRATEGIES & STORIES FROM SUMMER 2012
The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) can provide many benefits to children
and their families, communities, schools and local organizations. Beyond its central
purpose to provide at-risk children with nutritious summer meals to help them grow,
learn and thrive, SFSP can also:
• Support and encourage youth programming and recreation activities in safe,
trusted environments during summertime
• Help families stretch their food budgets throughout the summer months
• Boost employment of food service workers and youth program providers during
summer months
With these benefits and opportunities to expand SFSP statewide, Hunger Free
Colorado implemented key outreach and expansion strategies leading up to and
throughout the summer of 2012. Along with these statewide strategies, SFSP
sponsors, sites and partners paved the way for diverse and community-specific ways
to serve summer meals.
THE STATE LEVEL: HUNGER FREE COLORADO & THE
COLORADO NO KID HUNGRY CAMPAIGN
INCREASED HUMAN CAPITAL
Prior to 2012, Hunger Free Colorado dedicated one full-time employee to SFSP
expansion and outreach. To better serve existing sponsors and sites as well as attract
new SFSP stakeholders, Hunger Free Colorado increased SFSP-focused staff to two
full-time employees and five part-time contractors to support outreach efforts in the
following counties: Adams, Arapahoe, Denver, Douglas, El Paso, Jefferson and Pueblo.
The summer contractors supported community-based sites and new sites by assisting
with applications, planning operations and conducting outreach. This type of field
engagement is continuing to inform Hunger Free Colorado’s processes and resources
to best assist sponsors and sites statewide.
4

ENHANCED OUTREACH
Hunger Free Colorado increased investments in print outreach materials during 2012 to help sponsors implement new outreach
requirements established by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. 6 Materials included banners, yard signs, fliers, door hangers,
business cards and postcards. More than 265,000 materials — from business cards to banners — were distributed to sponsors,
sites, partners and the general public. Through trainings hosted by Colorado Department of Education, a web-based outreach
request form on SummerFoodColorado.org and ongoing outreach by staff and consultants, materials were distributed through inperson
delivery and shipping methods.
The content of the outreach materials included generic information about SFSP in English and Spanish as well as directives to
call or text the Hunger Free Hotline or access a map of sites at SummerFoodColorado.org. Similar content with coordinated visual
branding was included in print advertisements around the Denver Metro area, including public transit RTD interiors and exteriors
and billboards. Upon request from sponsors and sites, site-specific labels were printed and attached to materials, typically indicating
the address, dates and hours of operation.
Hunger Free Colorado also supported the availability of pre-recorded public service announcements (PSAs) in English and Spanish
for radio stations and robo-calls to students through school districts. Recordings provided by Governor John Hickenlooper in 2011
and local 9NEWS anchor Belen DeLeon in 2012 encouraged families to access their neighborhood summer food site.
Outreach efforts also included canvassing at public events and small-scale block walks to distribute materials near sites.
Information-sharing was coordinated with other county human service departments and related agencies, including shelters, food
pantries, WIC clinics and other low-income health clinics.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Hunger Free Colorado, with the support of Share Our Strength, provided start-up and expansion grants to 12 sponsors with 161
sites in 2012. 7 Grant allocations were small per sponsor but impactful for new organizations implementing SFSP for the first time.
Grant funds were allowed to cover infrastructure or administrative costs for sponsors expanding operations—by starting new sites,
extending serving dates, adding a meal (if originally serving only one) or adding activities to increase participation.
Reports from sponsors revealed financial need from newer and smaller sponsors to cover start-up costs:
“This grant was instrumental in providing the equipment needed to properly run the Summer Food Service Program... Through this
grant we purchased tables, chairs, medical kits, canopies and cleaning supplies for the food service. We also purchased sporting
equipment, craft supplies and books to help draw our students to the site.” - Scott Moore, Holy Cross Lutheran Church, first-year
sponsor and site in Jefferson County
“The grant was huge in purchasing the extra equipment we needed for increased participation as well as helping us successfully
implement a daily salad bar.” - Cañon City School Food & Nutrition Director, rural sponsor
Funding for adult meals was also made available
after a successful pilot in 2011. According to
many sponsors who provided adult meals—with
or without additional financial support—the
opportunity for parents and guardians to eat with
their children resulted in increased participation.
2012
Figure 2: Total SFSP Meals Served
Similar success was reported from Colorado
Springs District-11 following the Waldo Canyon
Park wildfire in late June. With the generous
support from The Denver Foundation, all
35 of the school district’s sites offered free
adult meals from early July to early August.
The additional support was found to be very
effective in helping the school district respond
to the devastating effects of the wildfire. They
were able to support families temporarily
displaced from their homes and workplaces.
2011
2010
2009
0 400,000 800,000 1,200,000 1,600,000
2009 2010 2011 2012
Growth Rate 26.4% 20.5% 11.5%
Total Meals Served 767,892 970,584 1,169,534 1,304,260
5

EVALUATION & INFORMATION SHARING
With a vision to increase total meals served by 10 percent, Hunger Free Colorado expanded efforts and piloted new methods to
increase summer food access statewide. With the generous support of Share Our Strength, an evaluation firm, Mission Spark,
assessed the impact and results of Hunger Free Colorado and partners’ efforts. Mission Spark’s evaluation identified successful
strategies and lessons learned to support the capacity of sponsors and sites to serve summer meals to Colorado kids.
For example, Mission Spark conducted sponsor/site interviews and family surveys to evaluate the diverse outreach strategies
supported by Hunger Free Colorado. The results showed that localized outreach, particularly materials with site-specific information,
resulted in higher participation and local recognition. They shared, “Keys to success for maintaining and increasing program
utilization include identifying and encouraging localized outreach strategies—the best strategies reported were consistently
embedded and tailored to specific communities.” 8
Integral to the ongoing evaluation process—and to implementing localized outreach—is the need to capture recipes for success
from the local level and share among sponsors and partners, the experts in implementing the program.
THE LOCAL LEVEL: SPONSORS, SITES & COMMUNITY PARTNERS
Sponsors and sites involved in SFSP are
undeniably unique in their operations,
capacity and partnerships. 9 More than 400
sites throughout Colorado serve children with
unique cultural backgrounds, education levels,
nutritional needs and home lives.
While the uniqueness of sponsors and sites
may inhibit the application of specific summer
food “models,” it also provides opportunity to
localize and alter models to best fit individual
community needs as the program expands.
This type of flexibility is supported by partners
sharing their stories and strategies and helping
new sponsors and sites select their own way
forward in implementing SFSP. Below are stories
about mobile site expansion, summer literacy
programs, community organizations and local
government agencies to spark new ideas for
serving SFSP statewide.
RECIPE FOR SUCCESS: MOVING MEALS
TO KIDS
Mobility is a growing trend in SFSP
implementation throughout Colorado and
nationwide. With school buses, food service
trucks or a spacious van, a mobile site provides
an opportunity to reach children in a communal,
accessible place. For many children and their
families, a mobile site provides immediate and
safe access to meals when transportation to a
site is not feasible or walking may pose safety
concerns.
Figure 3: 2012 Sponsors by Type
31% Rural Schools
28% Urban/Suburban Schools
23% Community Organization
8% University
6% Food Bank
4% Government Agency
Figure 4: Sponsor & Site Growth
450
400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
2009 2010 2011 2012
2009 2010 2011 2011
Sponsors 55 63 70 74
Sites 222 315 392 431
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2012 COLORADO
SUMMER NUTRITION REPORT
Mobile sites and routes in Colorado reached an all-time high in summer 2012. The
following school and community-based sponsors have implemented such programs to
reach more children:
• Colfax Community Network
• Colorado Springs District-11
• Food Bank of Larimer County
• Food Bank of the Rockies
• Jefferson County School District
• Thompson Valley School District
With each sponsors’ unique approach to mobile food operations, new sponsors and sites
are continuously learning from past experiences. Colorado Department of Education’s
Office of School Nutrition recognizes the success of mobile sites and will help train and
advise sponsors as they expand or initiate mobile SFSP in 2013 and moving forward.
What is a Mobile SFSP Site
In 1999, the USDA offered policy guidance to support mobile feeding operations
reaching children in rural areas. 10 Over the past ten years, the model has been used in
rural, urban and suburban areas. A mobile site involves transporting meals to children
in communal settings, rather than requiring children to be transported to a static meal
service site. Many of these congregate settings—low-income housing areas, public
parks and community centers—may lack the infrastructure and kitchen facilities
required to prepare and manage food service. Mobility of SFSP provides opportunities
for broader engagement of children in these locations.
Like stationary sites, all mobile sites where meals are dispensed must meet site
eligibility requirements, receive approval from the state administrative agency and
meet operational criteria applicable to all SFSP sites. Extra precaution is needed
to ensure food safety and health standards are upheld. Proper temperatures and
equipment for food transport and holding must be maintained throughout the route,
whether the vehicle’s route includes one site or many.
The theme in mobile site effectiveness stems from a common barrier identified in USDA
studies, state-level assessments and sites: transportation. Mobile sites reach children
from low-income families where they often spend time in the summer: in congregate
areas near low-income housing, public facilities such as parks and pools, and within
close-knit neighborhoods. While school buses, delivery trucks and other vehicles may
remain idle during summer months, more and more sponsors are putting these resources
in high gear to realize the impact and cost-effectiveness of operating mobile SFSP routes.
MORE THAN 400
SITES THROUGHOUT
COLORADO SERVE
CHILDREN WITH
UNIQUE CULTURAL
BACKGROUNDS,
EDUCATION LEVELS,
NUTRITIONAL NEEDS
AND HOME LIVES.
2012 Recipe for Mobile Success: Colfax Community Network
The Colfax Community Network (CCN), an organization serving low-income children and
families along the Colfax Avenue corridor, approached their first year implementing SFSP
with an understanding that services must be accessible for children to participate. With this
understanding and a strong knowledge and service base in Aurora and Denver, Outreach
Coordinator Mary Pritchard and her team established a route of mobile sites in the Colfax
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2012 COLORADO
SUMMER NUTRITION REPORT
corridor. Equipped with a van, multiple coolers, volunteers, temperature logs and other
required paperwork, CCN served SFSP to children near low-income housing complexes and
motels for transient populations. CCN served more than 100 children each day and plans to
expand SFSP operations to 10 or more sites, serving at least 1,000 children per day.
2012 Recipe for Mobile Success: Colorado Springs School District 11
In 2012, Colorado Springs D-11’s Food and Nutrition Services operated three mobile
routes using a school bus and two transportation trucks. Increasing their capacity to
serve SFSP at community-based sites, D-11 managed 35 sites in total, with nine sites
segmented into three mobile routes. The Food and Nutrition Services department
worked closely with the district’s transportation department, enlisting bus drivers
to operate the bus and trucks while food service employees managed on-site food
service. Many children participating at the mobile sites were gifted with free books
to encourage summer reading, a program also organized by D-11’s Food and Nutrition
Services. With trucks and buses running from early June to early August, D-11 reached
many children at mobile home parks, public parks and community centers.
2012 Recipe for Mobile Success: Jefferson County School District
“[BROWN BAGS &
BOOKS] IS A GREAT
PROGRAM, AND WE
HELPED MANY KIDS EAT
WHO MAY NOT HAVE
GOTTEN LUNCH.”
Denver Public Library staff
member
Leveraging diversified funding sources, the Food and Nutrition Services department of
Jefferson County Public Schools repurposed a school bus to begin serving children at
two mobile home parks during 2012. The retro-fitted school bus was complete with a
hand-washing station, food warmer, retractable sun valance, music system and caféstyle
seating. The colorful, kid-friendly vehicle received positive community attention
and served as a food distribution point for more than 125 kids daily (between 50 and
75 children at each site). Both mobile home sites are located near major roadways,
making it difficult and unsafe for children to walk to stationary SFSP sites.
RECIPE FOR SUCCESS: LEARNING AND LUNCHES
Summer meals and summer learning go hand in hand. Sponsors, sites and partners are
finding meaningful ways to engage children in reading and literacy programs, along
with access to nutritious meals.
The opportunities to implement enrichment programs with SFSP meals depend
on the capacity of sponsors and their site coordinators. During 2012, there were
many successful examples of pairing SFSP meals with library, literacy and learning
programs. Here are a few:
• Jefferson County Public Schools, with support from the Jefferson
Foundation, initiated the Summer of Early Literacy, an eight-week program
at four elementary schools in high-poverty areas of Jefferson County. Under
JeffCo’s SFSP sponsorship, the four participating schools also served breakfast
and lunch to any child in the program as well as children from the community.
• Care and Share Food Bank worked with Pueblo City and County Library District’s
Summer Reading Program to offer reading and healthy eating opportunities to kids
at three SFSP sites in Pueblo, one in Rye and another in Beaulah.
8

• Colorado Springs District 11 organized a book drive to collect lightly-used books for multiple ages. To encourage reading
at home, their more than 30 summer meals sites distributed free, age-appropriate books for participating kids.
• Colorado Department of Education’s State Library Office continues to raise awareness among library directors
statewide about SFSP and summer meals sites. This ongoing outreach is increasing interest among rural and urban libraries
to become SFSP sites or advocate for SFSP sites in underserved communities.
• Also at the state level, the Office of the Governor helped coordinate partnerships among Denver Public Libraries, Denver
Public Schools and Food Bank of the Rockies to establish the Brown Bags & Books program.
Story of Summer Food Success: Brown Bags & Books
The Office of Gov. John Hickenlooper, a partner of the Colorado No Kid Hungry campaign, deepened its involvement with child
nutrition initiatives through the Brown Bags & Books (BB&B) project, which ran June through August 2012. Recognizing summer
learning loss and summer food insecurity as common issues among children from low-income families, the Office of the Governor
sought to connect and foster partnerships among existing community resources.
The BB&B project connected Denver Public Library’s Summer of Reading (SOR) program with summer meals provided through the
Food Bank of the Rockies (FBR) at three library locations:
• Valdez-Perry Branch Library
• Virginia Village Branch Library
• Green Valley Ranch Branch Library
BB&B also engaged four Denver Public Schools locations, all serving summer meals from either the school or FBR, with Denver
Public Library’s “Reading Rocket” Bookmobile services:
• College View Elementary
• Eagleton Elementary
• Cheltenham Elementary
• Garden Place Elementary
All seven sites were further supported by Family Support Specialists, staff or volunteers recruited by the Governor to distribute
community-specific resource materials and talk to families, library staff and volunteers, and food service staff and volunteers
about availability and access to resources. Materials included information about food and nutrition assistance, affordable housing
programs, employment and childcare resources.
By fostering the ties between libraries, schools and summer meals providers, the Office of the Governor initiated a model for similar
organizations statewide to positively impact children and support families in their communities. For more information on BB&B,
contact Karla Maraccini, Director of Community Partnerships at the Office of Gov. John Hickenlooper, at karla.maraccini@state.co.us
or (303) 866-3700.
Figure 5: BB&B Processes
Results
Community
Partnerships at
the Office of the
Governor
Denver Public
Library
Food Bank of the
Rockies
Summer of
Reading Program
Reading Rocket
Bookmobile
Lunches through
SFSP
3 Library Sites
4 Elementary
School Sites
Connected children to 2,233
lunches at the 3 libraries
Connected 30 children per
week to the Reading Rocket
Bookmobile
Denver Public
Schools
Lunches through
SFSP
Connected 490 families and
adults with family support
resources & materials
9

RECIPE FOR SUCCESS: INVOLVING COMMUNITY & GOVERNMENT PARTNERS
While the majority—approximately 70 percent—of summer food sites in Colorado are managed by school districts, other sites run
by community-based organizations and local government units are also filling in gaps throughout urban and rural areas. In some
cases, community organizations and local governments serve as the only SFSP sponsor in a geographic area. In other instances,
community organizations and local governments are collaborating with school sponsors. The following describes innovative models
initiated by organizations in two underserved rural counties, Kit Carson and Chaffee, as well as examples of local government
leadership in rural and urban areas.
Building Bridges between Community Organizations and Schools
A unique example of public-private collaboration is set by a third-year SFSP sponsor in Kit Carson County. The Prairie Family Center, 11
based in Burlington, has built strong relationships with local schools by sponsoring school food sites. By working with the rural
school districts and relieving them of financial and administrative responsibilities required of SFSP sponsors, schools have been able
to focus their resources on education and food preparation components of summer school.
According to Karla Whitmore, executive director for the Prairie Family Center, establishing SFSP sites with the schools has created
many opportunities for year-round collaboration with teachers and education leaders. The center provides a number of programs
and services for families and children, including after-school activities, arts enrichment programs, summer camps, early learning
facilities and connecting families with healthcare resources. The implementation of the center’s programs often depends on schools
and teachers to help build awareness and engage families, a relationship now strengthened by SFSP partnership.
While many rural school districts lack personnel and budgets to support summer school and meals for students, the Prairie Family
Center learned to first boost existing programs. In partnership with the Burlington School District RE-J6, the Prairie Family Center
hosts one summer food site in conjunction with summer school, most recently located at Burlington Elementary. From 2010 to 2012,
daily participation numbers grew from 50 kids to more than 125. Summer school is paired with CATCH programming 12 and healthy
lunches four days per week. Support for the summer program is broad, from the superintendent checking in students daily to the
kitchen manager helping provide a safe and healthy learning environment for local kids during the summer months. Building on the
success in Burlington, the Prairie Family Center added a summer food site with Bethune Schools, feeding approximately 25 kids per
day in its first summer.
The Prairie Family Center plans to expand sponsorship to other potential sites in Kit Carson County in 2013 and help promote the
program to other family resource centers in Colorado’s Eastern Plains region.
It Takes a Village: Harnessing Resources to Bring Summer Meals to Salida
The summer of 2012 was the first time that the Boys and Girls Club of Chaffee County provided free meals to children in Salida
through SFSP. Initially concerned with their limited staff and administrative capacity, the Boys and Girls Club sought community and
state partnerships to support the process of becoming a SFSP site. The results proved successful on many fronts:
1) increased participation in both summer meals and Boys and Girls Club programming;
2) strong community involvement and partnerships;
3) using a local vendor to supply healthy, fresh and kid-friendly foods for the summer lunches.
The summer meals site at the Boys and Girls Club in Salida partnered with an experienced sponsor organization, Care and Share
Food Bank, to handle the administrative and fiscal requirements of SFSP. LiveWell of Chaffee County offered community organizing
and wellness expertise to the program and helped expand awareness throughout the community. The final and fundamental partner,
Amica’s—a well-known restaurant in Chaffee County—served healthy, fresh and local foods to more than 100 children per day at
the Boys and Girls Club. Amica’s surpassed the role of a vendor, offering culinary expertise and donating much of their staff time to
prepare the meals at the restaurant as well as serve it at the Boys and Girls Club site.
Throughout the summer, the Club saw their attendance of unique children increase by more than 30 percent; children attending more
than three times per week increased three-fold. In addition to serving kids involved in the Club, they attracted new children to their
programs by offering the free summer meals to any child.
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2012 COLORADO
SUMMER NUTRITION REPORT
The success initiated by this Club is driving more interest in SFSP and summer
enrichment programs throughout Chaffee County, notably in nearby Buena Vista. Care
and Share Food Bank is also replicating these effective processes of partnership and
community engagement to other summer meals sites throughout Southern Colorado.
Local Government and Summer Food
Local government engagement in SFSP varies throughout the state in rural and
urban areas. Units of local government—including county, municipal and tribal—
are eligible to be sponsors, although some choose to support existing sponsors and
sites. The following are a few examples of how local governments were involved with
SFSP 2012:
• The City of Monte Vista in Rio Grande County has served as a sponsor
for many years, providing meals to participants of their Monte Vista Kids
Connection Program, which has free enrollment for any child receiving free or
reduced-price lunch during the school year.
• The Ute Mountain Ute Recereation Center has also been a long-time, selfsponsored
site, serving children in the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation area of
Montezuma County.
• The Denver City and County Mayor’s Office for Education and Children
initiated their involvement in SFSP as a sponsor in 2012, overseeing 14 sites in
Denver.
• The City of Wheat Ridge became a strong SFSP advocate in 2012, helping
with outreach as well as convening sponsors and sites to discuss collaboration
and improvement of summer food access for Wheat Ridge children.
Connecting Colorado kids to summer meals is truly a collaborative effort from
neighborhoods to the state level. In collecting stories of success from SFSP sponsors
and sites, a common trend is the engagement of diverse partners. Collaboration
continues to be a key ingredient in the recipe for summer food success.
PART 2: MOVING FORWARD IN 2013
The successes and lessons learned from past summers continue to fuel action plans
for future summers. There are great opportunities for improving the Summer Food
Service Program (SFSP) in communities throughout Colorado, in terms of serving more
children and involving new partners in sponsorship, site development and outreach.
LOCALIZING SUMMER FOOD
‘WE REACHED OUT
TO DONORS, AND
MANY OF THEM
VOLUNTEERED TO HELP
WITH THE PROGRAM.
THIS ENGAGEMENT
IS ALL PART OF OUR
STEWARDSHIP EFFORTS
AND WAS INCREDIBLY
POWERFUL.’
Bretty Haydin, executive
director for Boys & Girls Club
of Chaffee County
A recurring theme from evaluations, both internal and external, is the need to localize
SFSP planning, outreach and operations. Focusing on this need to embed summer
food in communities, Hunger Free Colorado values strong buy-in from local leadership,
organizations and families. While this process must happen at community and
neighbhorhood levels, state level partners can support localized processes and act as a
disseminator of information and resources.
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2012 COLORADO
SUMMER NUTRITION REPORT
Examples of how Hunger Free Colorado will support localizing SFSP efforts include:
• Convene and facilitate communication among sponsors and partners by region,
in order to enhance collaborative efforts at local levels (through in-person
meetings, conference calls and email forums)
• Share success stories and best practices among sponsors and sites, especially
with mobile site development and programming implementation; connecting
experienced sponsors with new sponsors to establish mentorship practices
• Create and distribute customizable outreach materials to better display sitespecific
locations, serving days and times, and local branding
• Develop community assessment tools to help determine site locations, levels
of need and potential impact as well as to trouble-shoot problems with
participation and outreach
• Train sponsor and site staff/volunteers in community-based outreach strategies
through field-based contractors and outreach materials
These efforts, paired with strong partner engagement, will also help fulfill or build
capacity of existing sponsors and sites. Working through local partners and identifying
local nutrition and health advocates for engagement is crucial to successful summer
food programs, as well as other efforts to achieve community-based food security.
TARGETED EXPANSION & CAPACITY BUILDING
CONNECTING COLORADO
KIDS TO SUMMER
MEALS IS TRULY A
COLLABORATIVE EFFORT
FROM NEIGHBORHOODS
TO THE STATE LEVEL.
Learn more at
SummerFoodColorado.org
Many of the outreach and expansion tactics of Hunger Free Colorado will continue in
2013 and beyond. For example, hosting the web-based map on SummerFoodColorado.org
and staffing the Hunger Free Hotline are long-term strategies to connect families with
local summer meals. In addition, short-term strategies will emphasize building up
sponsor and site infrastructure and leveraging or expanding the capacities of existing
sponsors and sites.
For many school-based sites, the capacity—from space and staff to other resources—
to serve additional meals is available but oftentimes is not fully leveraged. For many
community-based sites, there may be needed start-up resources, including funding,
information and expertise, to establish operational infrastructure and expand site
capacity. Even in many high-poverty areas (determined through census or school data),
low participation signals the need for an in-depth assessment of a site’s operations,
best conducted by the site operators, volunteers, sponsor staff or a blend of all
stakeholders. Site assessments help determine how multiple variables play out in
SFSP operations—outreach, time of service, food quality, safe access, community
perception of the site, attitudes of site staff, availability of activities and cultural
appropriateness. For site assessment resources, refer to SummerFoodColorado.org.
CONTINUED EVALUATION
Hunger Free Colorado will continue researching opportunities to strengthen SFSP and
evaluating pilot and ongoing strategies with local, state and national partners. Results
of research and evaluation will help identify needs of sponsors, sites and communities,
as well as gaps in outreach and serving at-risk children. Input from partners,
12

particularly from sponsors and site supervisors, will help inform research processes, advocate for programmatic improvements,
empower site-level trouble-shooting, and establish site and sponsor-level assessment practices.
CONCLUSION
With one-quarter of Colorado’s kids living in food-insecure households, summertime can become a challenging time for many
families. Without free or reduced-price school meals provided five days per week, family food budgets can increase dramatically
during school break. SFSP provides an opportunity for children to access reliable summer meals, supporting families as they stretch
their summer food budgets. For example, a family with three school-age children can save upwards of $35 per week or $150 per
month when their children access lunch at an approved SFSP site Monday through Friday. 13
Connecting the children with these meals requires local engagement, outreach and know-how to successfully implement SFSP
sites where children, live, learn and play. The various ways that local engagement plays out is a recipe unique to each community
and neighborhood of our great state. From schools to local governments, regional food banks to neighborhood churches, privatelymanaged
summer enrichment programs to parks and recreation centers, partners for planning, outreach and implementation are as
diverse as a site’s day-to-day operations. Mobile meal sites may fit needs in some communities, while others may integrate day-long
summer camp activities. One site may be housed near a public swimming pool while another is stationed at a local youth agency
facility.
Implementing SFSP in Colorado communities is a tool among many to address childhood food insecurity. The way that the tool
is used depends on community needs, local leadership and community buy-in. Like many tools in the fight against hunger, SFSP’s
application requires continual improvements and local engagement to find the “recipe for success” and provide consistent summer
meals from year to year.
FOOTNOTES
1
Piscopo, L. 2012 Kids Count in Colorado! Colorado Children’s Campaign. March 2012, page 13.
2
Piscopo L. 2012 Kids Count in Colorado! Colorado Children’s Campaign. March 2012, page 24. Reported 22%. CDPHE, Colorado Child Healthy
Survey, 2010, page 20. Reported 25.3%.
3
Campaign to End Childhood Hunger in Colorado: Five Year Plan. Hunger Free Colorado, December 2010.
4
For more information about SFSP, refer to Appenix A: What is the Summer Food Service Program
5
Colorado Department of Education, NSLP and SBP 2011-2012 data.
6
Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act available at: http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Governance/Policy-Memos/2011/SP15-2011_os.pdf
7
Share Our Strength Grant Analysis 2012.
8
Mission Spark. Colorado Summer Food Program Evaluation Executive Summary. January 2013.
9
See Appendix B for a list of all 2012 SFSP Sponsors by region.
10
USDA SFSP Policy Memorandum #17-99 available online: http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Summer/Administration/
Policy/1999-1997/1999-2-12%281%29.pdf
11
Prairie Family Center is a member of the statewide Family Resource Center Association: http://www.cofamilycenters.org/
12
CATCH (Coordinated Approach to Child Health) is a school health program to promote exercise, nutrition and healthy behaviors for kids ages 4
to 13: http://catchinfo.org/
13
Calculations based on $2.30 meal cost per child.
Cover photo by Mary Frey. Other photos courtsey of Mary Frey, Jason Knowles, Derek Meredith and Jeffco Public Schools.
13

COUNTY
2010 -
June
Lunch
ADP
2011 -
June
Lunch
ADP
Table 1: Trends by County in SFSP Average Daily Participation (ADP)
2012 -
June
Lunch
ADP
June
Lunch
ADP
Growth,
2010 to
2012**
2010
- July
Lunch
ADP
2011
- July
Lunch
ADP
2012
- July
Lunch
ADP
July
Lunch
ADP
Growth,
2010 to
2012**
2010 -
August
Lunch
ADP
2011 -
August
Lunch
ADP
2012 -
August
Lunch
ADP
August
Lunch
ADP
Growth,
2010 to
2012**
ADAMS 2047 2963 4481 119% 1672 2623 2936 76% 0 246 127 -48%
ALAMOSA 368 288 252 -32% 27 302 194 619% 0 0 0
ARAPAHOE 3800 4762 4681 23% 548 798 1259 130% 42 140 381 807%
ARCHULETA 0 0 9 + 0 0 8 + 0 0 5 +
BACA 0 99 115 16% 0 67 94 40% 0 0 0
BENT 75 0 51 -32% 48 0 44 -8% 0 0 27 +
BOULDER 553 591 1055 91% 669 1033 905 35% 142 0 0 -100%
CHAFFEE 0 0 45 + 0 0 39 + 0 0 24 +
COSTILLA 75 76 76 1% 53 84 77 45% 0 0 0
CROWLEY 0 26 0 0 20 0 0 20 0
DENVER 6601 6822 7518 14% 2829 3058 3331 18% 437 857 1276 192%
DOLORES 0 0 15 + 0 0 13 + 0 0 8 +
DOUGLAS 34 108 91 168% 41 65 0 -100% 21 0 0 -100%
EAGLE 0 0 0 0 0 287 + 0 0 0
EL PASO 1027 933 1409 37% 396 1324 2266 472% 63 748 1747 2673%
FREMONT 2 236 318 15800% 21 182 298 1319% 22 0 37 68%
GARFIELD 0 96 128 33% 0 141 421 199% 0 0 54 +
HUERFANO 17 0 24 41% 0 0 25 + 0 0 0
JEFFERSON 780 910 1198 54% 1019 817 1429 40% 192 404 127 -34%
KIT CARSON 180 140 189 5% 156 86 0 -100% 0 0 0
LA PLATA 19 104 97 411% 0 120 60 -50% 0 82 68 -17%
LAKE 0 52 0 0 42 0 0 0 0
LARIMER 1285 1563 1625 26% 970 1121 1473 52% 221 562 483 119%
LAS ANIMAS 106 83 91 -14% 80 84 62 -23% 0 0 0
LINCOLN 0 0 64 + 0 0 0 0 0 0
LOGAN 0 125 0 0 98 0 0 0 0
MESA 801 866 386 -52% 731 800 327 -55% 0 236 0
MOFFAT 0 46 47 2% 0 52 96 0 112 70 -38%
MONTEZUMA 125 149 92 -26% 75 41 82 9% 25 8 5 -80%
MONTROSE 316 47 374 18% 0 361 345 0 56 32 -43%
MORGAN 260 169 404 55% 152 170 269 77% 0 0 0
OTERO 352 365 452 28% 198 253 213 8% 0 0 0
PARK 0 0 79 + 0 0 78 0 0 32 +
PROWERS 95 96 90 -5% 0 0 0 0 0 0
PUEBLO 1191 213 1473 24% 865 1022 967 12% 51 20 75 47%
RIO GRANDE 170 81 96 -44% 156 81 142 -9% 0 49 58 18%
ROUTT 0 0 40 + 0 0 34 0 0 31 +
SAGUACHE 88 0 0 -100% 92 118 0 -100% 0 0 0
SUMMIT 0 89 72 -19% 60 77 49 -18% 0 7 0
TELLER 20 31 37 85% 31 40 35 13% 7 10 6 -14%
WELD 240 1090 1881 684% 198 980 1526 671% 185 147 153 -17%
STATE
TOTALS
20627 23219 29054 41% 11087 16060 19385 75% 1408 3704 4825 243%
TABLE 1 KEY:
+ Indicated 2012 is the only SFSP participation year from 2010 to
2012
** If 2010 data is 0, growth rate is calculated with 2011 baseline.
If 2011 data is 0 and 2012 data is >0, see explanation above.
NOTE:
(1) SFSP data was provided by CDE’s Office of School Nutrition.
(2) Average Daily Participation in SFSP lunches are based on total
lunches served by each sponsor divided by the average serving
days of each sponsor.
14

COUNTY
Table 2: FRP Eligibility and SFSP Participation by County
K-12 Student Enrollment
Students Eligible for Free
or Reduced Price Lunch
Free or Reduced Price
Lunch Rate by County
ADAMS 84,111 40,730 48.42%
ALAMOSA 2,375 1,725 72.63%
ARAPAHOE 110,173 45,617 41.40%
ARCHULETA 1,371 733 53.46%
BACA 689 386 56.02%
BENT 725 515 71.03%
BOULDER 57,462 14,764 25.69%
CHAFFEE 2,001 814 40.68%
CHEYENNE 283 102 36.04%
CLEAR CREEK 886 219 24.72%
CONEJOS 1,573 1,056 67.13%
COSTILLA 452 399 88.27%
CROWLEY 446 313 70.18%
CUSTER 383 171 44.65%
DELTA 5,076 2,383 46.95%
DENVER 78,530 56,984 72.56%
DOLORES 261 105 40.23%
DOUGLAS 63,044 7,321 11.61%
EAGLE 6,217 2,670 42.95%
EL PASO 3,409 814 23.88%
ELBERT 108,821 39,805 36.58%
FREMONT 5,366 2,827 52.68%
GARFIELD 10,829 5,140 47.47%
GILPIN 342 104 30.41%
GRAND 1,624 531 32.70%
GUNNISON 1,755 435 24.79%
HINSDALE 71 16 22.54%
HUERFANO 696 494 70.98%
JACKSON 185 98 52.97%
JEFFERSON 82,530 28,387 34.40%
KIOWA 232 121 52.16%
KIT CARSON 1,270 731 57.56%
LA PLATA 1,051 771 73.36%
LAKE 6,540 2,306 35.26%
LARIMER 43,712 14,129 32.32%
LAS ANIMAS 2,337 1,212 51.86%
LINCOLN 721 288 39.94%
LOGAN 2,847 1,343 47.17%
MESA 21,695 9,700 44.71%
MINERAL 78 44 56.41%
MOFFAT 2,117 922 43.55%
MONTEZUMA 3,779 2,089 55.28%
MONTROSE 6,163 3,330 54.03%
MORGAN 5,140 3,265 63.52%
OTERO 3,199 2,178 68.08%
PARK 1,515 602 39.74%
PHILLIPS 879 392 44.60%
PITKIN 1,682 115 6.84%
PROWERS 2,244 1,465 65.29%
PUEBLO 25,495 15,533 60.93%
RIO BLANCO 1,142 312 27.32%
RIO GRANDE 2,021 1,249 61.80%
ROUTT 3,073 703 22.88%
SAGUACHE 890 717 80.56%
SAN JUAN 62 43 69.35%
SAN MIGUEL 1,042 334 32.05%
SEDGWICK 1,241 568 45.77%
SUMMIT 3,007 977 32.49%
TELLER 2,845 1,057 37.15%
WASHINGTON 829 394 47.53%
WELD 37,898 19,594 51.70%
YUMA 1,684 994 59.03%
STATE TOTALS 833,186 349,196 41.91%
TABLE 2 KEY:
No SFSP participation during
2010, 2011 or 2012
SFSP participation in 2010, 2011
or 2012
No SFSP participation during
during 2010, 2011 or 2012 and
county with FRP rate > 50%
NOTE:
2012-2013 School Year Data
available on CDE’s website:
http://www.cde.state.co.us/
cdereval/pupilcurrentdistrict.htm
15

2012 COLORADO
SUMMER NUTRITION REPORT
SFSP’S ADMINISTRATIVE
PROCESS
The Summer Food Service
Program is administered
at the federal level by the
United States Department
of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food
and Nutrition Service (FNS)
agency.
The Colorado Department
of Education (CDE) Office
of School Nutrition (OSN)
administers SFSP in
Colorado. CDE approves
sponsor applications,
conducts sponsor trainings,
monitors SFSP operations
and processes program
reimbursements.
Sponsors sign an agreement
with CDE to run and monitor
SFSP sites. CDE reimburses
sponsors for meals served
at those sites that meet the
federal guidelines.
Sponsors recruit and setup
one or multiple sites in their
communities. The sites serve
FREE, nutritious meals to
children 1 to 18 years old.
APPENDIX A: WHAT IS THE SUMMER FOOD SERVICE
PROGRAM
The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) provides “food that’s in when school
is out.” The United States Department of Agriculture-Food and Nutrition Service
(USDA-FNS) provides reimbursements for meals served to children ages 1 to 18 by
participating organizations. Meals must meet the USDA nutrition guidelines and
appropriate meal pattern.
SFSP provides detailed guidelines for approved organizations, referred to as sponsors,
to receive reimbursements for meals served at approved sites that meet eligibility
requirements. These requirements ensure that sites provide nutritious food to children
in eligible neighborhoods and communities. In Colorado, sponsor and site applications
are submitted to the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) Office of School
Nutrition (OSN), which administers SFSP.
WHAT IS A SPONSOR
Sponsors are organizations that provide summer food sites with administrative and
financial support. Colorado sponsors consist of food banks, school districts, local
government entities, university programs and nonprofit organizations.
Organizations
eligible to be
sponsors include:
• Nonprofit schools
• Private, nonprofit
organizations
• Nonprofit camps
• Units of government:
Local, municipal,
county, tribal, state
or federal
• Universities or
colleges
Any for-profit entity is not
eligible to be a sponsor.
WHAT IS A SITE
SFSP Sponsors must:
• Accept fiscal and administrative responsibility for
their SFSP site(s)
• Follow federal, state and local regulations
pertinent to SFSP
• Attend trainings from the CDE’s Office of School
Nutrition and then train site staff or volunteers
• Arrange for food preparation (on-site) or delivery
(off-site preparation)
• Monitor site operations and conduct preoperational
site visits
• Sign all written agreements and submit required
paperwork
SFSP sites are approved locations where food service is available for children.
Sponsors must submit an application for each site, including service dates, times, meal
types and additional information. Meals can be prepared on-site by volunteers or staff
or vended by a sponsor or other approved entity.
16

Sites may be located either indoor or outdoor (with inclement weather provisions). In Colorado, common SFSP sites include:
• schools
• community or youth centers (such as YMCAs and Boys & Girls Clubs)
• private nonprofits
• affordable housing communities
• faith-based organizations
• public parks, playgrounds, recreation centers and libraries
• universities and colleges with youth programs
In addition to meals, many sites provide programming and age-appropriate activities to children accessing SFSP. However, there is
no reimbursement for programming and activities with the SFSP funds.
Sites can also choose to self-sponsor, taking full responsibility for food production, service, monitoring and administrative
paperwork. Reimbursements go directly to self-sponsored sites.
DETERMINING SITE ELIGIBILITY
The following table displays the most
common SFSP site categories in Colorado,
which is adapted from USDA 2012
Administrative Guidance for Sponsors:
MEALS
For a meal to be reimbursed, sites must
provide meals that meet the USDA’s SFSP
Meal Pattern Requirements for summer
meals. Meals and snacks must contain:
• Breakfast – 8 ounces of milk, ½
cup vegetable and/or fruit, and 1
serving of grains/breads (1 ounce of
meat or meat alternate is an optional
addition)
• Lunch/Supper – 8 ounces of milk, ¾
SITE
CATEGORY
Open Site
Closed
Enrolled Site
Camp Site
WHAT IT MEANS
At least 50% of the children in the area
are eligible for free and reduced-price
(FRP) school meals, based on the local
school or census block group.
At least 50% of the children enrolled in
the program are eligible for FRP school
meals. Family income eligibility forms
must be collected and maintained.
A residential or day camp providing
meals can be reimbursed for enrolled
children who meet FRP eligibility.
Family income eligibility forms must be
collected and maintained.
WHO IT SERVES
Meals are served to all
children on a first-come,
first-served basis.
Meals are served only to
enrolled children in the
program.
Camps are reimbursed
only for enrolled children
who are eligible for FRP
school meals. Not all
meals are reimbursable.
cup vegetables and/or fruit (two types or more), 1 serving of grains/breads, and 2 ounces of a meat or meat alternate.
• Snack (choose 2) – 8 ounces of milk, ¾ cup vegetables and/or fruit, 1 serving of grains/breads, and 1 ounce of a meat or
meat alternate.
Camp sites are allowed to serve up to three meals per day (snack, breakfast, lunch or supper). Non-camp sites can serve two meals
maximum (snack, breakfast, lunch or supper but not both lunch and supper).
REIMBURSEMENT
Reimbursements are determined by “meals multiplied by rate.” For
example, a rural or self-prep site serving 25 children will be reimbursed
$3.38 per lunch served, totaling $84.50 daily or $1,352.00 for 20 days of
service.
Reimbursement paperwork now allows sponsors to use reimbursements
for operating or administrative costs without categorizing them. Costs
do not need to be reported to the state, but records must be maintained
in case of state agency review.
Colorado Summer Food Service Program
Reimbursement Rates (Combined)
2012
Per Meal Rates
(U.S. Dollars)
Rural or Self-
Prep Sites
All Other Types
of Sites
Breakfast 1.9350 1.8975
Lunch or Supper 3.3800 3.3250
Snack 0.7975 0.7800
17

WHAT IS HUNGER FREE COLORADO’S ROLE WITH SFSP
Hunger Free Colorado works to increase access to free summer meals for children throughout the state by raising awareness of
the program and its processes, building partnerships at state and local levels, advocating for program use and improvements, and
supporting organizations as they implement summer meals programs. Hunger Free Colorado provides:
• Outreach materials and ideas to support new and existing sponsors and sites
• Practical knowledge and guidance for sponsors and sites throughout planning and implementation processes
• Start-up and infrastructure funding to help implement new sites or expand existing sites
• The Hunger Free Hotline, a toll-free, statewide resource with bilingual navigators, which can help families find SFSP sites
close to their homes
• A web-based map of SFSP site locations and meal times online at SummerFoodColorado.org
NEXT STEPS
Are you interested in being a sponsor, running a site or helping with outreach
1
2
If you are interested in becoming a sponsor, contact CDE’s Office of School Nutrition:
Phone: (303) 866-6661 or toll-free (888) 245-6092 (toll-free)
Email: nutrition@cde.state.co.us
Website: cde.state.co.us/cdenutritran/nutrisummer.htm
For support in becoming a sponsor, setting up sites and helping with outreach, contact Hunger Free
Colorado:
Phone: (720) 328-1284
Email: info@hungerfreecolorado.org
3
To start site planning, review the SFSP Site Assessment Tool to help you start the process!
4
Find more resources at:
SummerFoodColorado.org
SummerFood.usda.gov
18

APPENDIX B: 2012 SPONSOR ORGANIZATIONS
Thank you to the all of the 2012 Summer Food Service Program sponsors throughout the state of Colorado!
Denver Metro area sponsors:
Adams 12 School District
Adams 14 School District
Adams 27J School District
Adams 50 School District
Agape Christian Church
Aurora Public Schools
Bear Valley Church
Boulder Valley School District
Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver
Bridges of Silence
Charter School Institute
Colfax Community Network
Crossroads of the Rockies
Denver City & County, Mayor's Office for Children’s Affairs
Denver Inner City Parish
Denver Public Schools
Downtown Aurora Visual Arts (DAVA)
Food Bank of the Rockies
Healing Waters Family Center
Holy Cross Lutheran Church
Jefferson County Public Schools
Joy Lutheran Church
Littleton Public Schools
Mapleton Public Schools
Metro State College of Denver, TRIO Upward Bound
Save Our Youth
Sheridan School District
University of Colorado Denver, Pre-Collegiate Development
Program
University of Colorado Denver, Pre-Collegiate Health
Careers Program
Zonta Club of Douglas County
Northern Front Range sponsors
Colorado State University, Upward Bound
Food Bank for Larimer County
Poudre School District Re-1
Salvation Army, High Peak Camp
St. Vrain Valley School District
Thompson School District
Weld County School District 6 Nutrition Services
Weld County School District Re-3J
Weld County School District Re-8
Weld Food Bank
Colorado Springs and Pueblo Corridor sponsors
Care and Share Food Bank
Colorado Springs School District 11
Hanover School District 28
Harrison School District
Pueblo City Schools
Pueblo County School District 70
Eastern Plains sponsors
Brush School District
Food Bank of the Rockies
Genoa-Hugo School
Lamar School District Re-2
Morgan County School District Re-3
Prairie Family Center
Southern Colorado sponsors
Adams State College, Upward Bound
Alamosa School District
Canon City Schools
Care and Share Food Bank
City of Monte Vista
Cripple Creek-Victor School District Re-1
Del Norte Schools
East Otero School District
Fort Lewis College, Upward Bound
Fremont School District Re-2
Ignacio School District 11JT
La Veta School District Re-2
Rocky Ford School District
Sierra Grande Schools
Springfield School District Re-4
Trinidad School District #1
Ute Mountain Ute Recreation Center
Western Colorado sponsors
Food Bank of the Rockies
Garfield Re 2 School District
Mesa County Valley School District 51
Moffat County School District
Montrose County School Re-1J
Summit 54
Summit School District RE-1
Totally Kids, Inc.
19

2012 COLORADO
SUMMER NUTRITION REPORT
Hunger Free Colorado is the state’s leading
anti-hunger organization leveraging the power
of collaboration, system change, policy change
and social change to end hunger in Colorado.
FILL UP ON HOW YOU CAN HELP AT
HUNGERFREECOLORADO.ORG.