At a tour and discussion Wednesday, Oct. 14, at the Food Bank of the Rockies’ 270,000-square-foot warehouse in Aurora, nonprofit leaders told U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet that shrinking federal food assistance is leaving more families struggling to afford meals.

More than one in eight Coloradans lacks the resources to reliably put healthy, nutritious food on the table, according to figures cited by food-bank leaders. Food Bank of the Rockies said food insecurity is at its highest level in 12 years, based on the latest available data.

About 40,000 Coloradans have lost access to SNAP in the past year, said Ron Meehan, government relations manager for Feeding Colorado. The reductions also affect local businesses: Meehan said each dollar spent through SNAP generates $1.54 in economic activity, and Colorado is now receiving about $10 million less per month through the program.

At the Adams County Emergency Food Bank, 3,400 people have signed up for help since January, said Steph Wayne. Some clients are making fewer trips because they cannot afford gas or bus fare, while reduced monthly SNAP benefits leave less room to choose the foods they prefer, she said.

“The margin between making it and paying your bills and having food on the table or not is razor thin,” said Emily Stromquist, executive director of Food for Hope, which works with children and schools. She said some families who have never used a food bank are now asking how to get assistance. Medical bills and the loss of health coverage can further strain household budgets, she added.

Project Worthmore, an Aurora-based organization, distributed 400,000 pounds of food from January through September, a 63% increase from the comparable measure cited by its representative, Simret Kahsai. Spending on staple foods also rose 63%, while the number of households served increased 20%, Kahsai said.

The federal government has said SNAP cuts are intended to reduce spending and reliance on public assistance. New work requirements and eligibility restrictions are set to take effect in the coming weeks, raising concern among advocates that more people—including children, seniors and people with disabilities—could lose food assistance.

Colorado could also face more than $200 million in additional annual costs starting next year as some expenses previously covered by the federal government shift to states, according to the figures discussed at the meeting. The potential expense comes as the state confronts a budget shortfall.

Bennet, a senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, said he is pushing to restore cuts, ideally through the Farm Bill, which is awaiting a vote in Congress. He said hunger can affect children’s ability to learn and that he has heard similar concerns across the state.