Colorado Joint Budget Comittee approves $10 million for food banks amid government shutdown

DENVER, Colo. (KRDO) -- The Office of Governor Jared Polis announced Thursday that Colorado's Joint Budget Committee (JBC) has approved two emergency funding requests, including $10 million for food banks during the government shutdown.

“With the JBC’s approval, we are getting $10 million out the door, as the federal shutdown continues, to help food banks meet record demand and continuing to fund WIC so that no parent or child goes hungry in Colorado because Congress can't get its act together,” a statement from Governor Jared Polis read in part.

Governor Polis announced his request for funding last week, hoping it would bridge the gap as food banks become more in demand with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits expected to dry up in November. Due to the federal shutdown, funding for the program is on pause.

$10 million is unlikely to address the increased need fully, however. The governor's office previously said that Colorado is ordinarily sent about $120 million each month from the federal government for SNAP.

In addition to the approval for $10 million to support food banks, the governor's office says the JBC also granted "continued authority for up to $7.5 million in previously approved WIC funding to maintain nutrition benefits and local operations for nearly 100,000 women, infants, and children through November."

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