Important Information About November SNAP Benefits – November 2025

Posted October 24, 2025

The situation around SNAP benefits during the month of November is changing a lot! For the most current information about the status of SNAP, please visit the Colorado Department of Human Services’ website here.

Click here for information on donating gift cards to support families in the McKinley-Thatcher community.

Click here for information on signing up to request gift cards if your family is affected by the SNAP benefits disruption.

The information in this post includes:

    What Is Happening with November SNAP Benefits? 

    The situation around SNAP benefits during the month of November is changing a lot! For the most current information about the status of SNAP, please visit the Colorado Department of Human Services’ website here.

    Will Free School Meals at DPS Be Affected by the Government Shutdown?

    No, school meals at Denver Public Schools (DPS) will not be impacted. School breakfast and lunches will continue as normal and remain free to families.

    What Other Food Resources Are Available During This Time?

    • Contact Colorado 211, the state’s multilingual resource service, by dialing 2-1-1 or (866) 760-6489, or visiting www.211colorado.org for assistance in locating food resources. 

    • View food resources through Feeding Colorado’s food bank locator tool here, or by emailing info@feedingcolorado.org.

    • Visit Food Bank of the Rockies’ pantry locator tool and enter your address to find your closest food resource.

    • Check out the Plentiful app, which helps neighbors looking to access charitable food solutions. This app has resources that aren’t visible through the Food Bank of the Rockies locator tool, and also allows you to select appointment times (when available) so you don’t have to wait in long lines!

    • Visit the City of Denver’s food resources website here. This site includes information for families in need of food resources, and for families who would like to donate or volunteer their time.

    • Check out the City of Denver’s Tasty Food program here. This program serves youth ages 3 to 18 for breakfast, lunch, supper, and / or snacks. No ID or registration required — just show up and eat!

    • Any DPS family can receive non-perishable food items from The Village at CLA at their no-cost grocery market during the following times, as supplies last: Thursdays from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM & Fridays from 7:30 AM to 9:30 AM. The Village at CLA is located at 200 E. 9th Ave.

    • Individual communities also may have additional resources available. Contact your local county human services office for more information. 

    Which Food Resources Are Closest to McKinley-Thatcher?

    Please use the links below to see a list of food resources within five miles of McKinley-Thatcher. This list was created on October 24, 2025 using Food Bank of the Rockies’s pantry locator tool.

    Sign Up to Request Assistance from Our School

    If your family is affected by the SNAP benefits disruption, please complete this Google form to request grocery store gift cards to help out during November. 

    Please note: the availability of gift cards will depend on donations we receive from our community. We will make every effort to help all families who request assistance, but assistance is not guaranteed. We strongly encourage families to work with other local food resources, too!  

    How Can I Help?

    Coloradans who are able to support our neighbors are encouraged to reach out to their local food banks and community organizations, or to make a direct donation to Feeding Colorado here. You may also visit the City of Denver’s food donation website here to learn about ways to support by donating money, food, or your time.

    While canned food donations are appreciated, cash donations go much further. Food banks and community organizations have much greater purchasing power, so dollars spent by them buy much more food and have a much greater impact.

    Donate to Support McKinley Families 

    Our main office is organizing a gift card drive to support families in our community who are not receiving SNAP benefits during November. Your generous donations will help provide essential groceries and household items to those in need. Thank you for helping us ensure that our community is supported during this challenging time!

    How Can I Donate?

    • We are collecting physical gift cards to local stores like King Soopers, Safeway, Target, and Walmart.
    • Gift cards of any value are welcome, but amounts in $25 increments are most helpful.
    • Gift cards may be dropped off in our main office between 7:15 AM and 3:15 PM. 
    • If you have questions or need more information, please call us at (720) 424-5600.

    Learn More About November’s Food Resource Ballot Measures

    This November, Colorado residents will be asked to vote on two ballot initiatives, Proposition LL and Proposition MM. These measures would provide additional funding needed to sustain the Healthy School Meals for All (HSMA) program. 

    If voters decide not to increase funding for the program, state funding for school meals would be significantly reduced at the end of 2025. Though we do not know how much funding the program would lose, it’s important for families who are not approved for the Free and Reduced Price Lunch program to know that it is possible free meals will no longer be provided to their students. If voters decide to increase funding to the program, the current free meal program would continue into 2026 and beyond.

    Please note, families who are approved for the federal Free and Reduced Price Lunch program will not be at risk of losing free meals if voters decide to not increase funding to the Healthy School Meals for All program. 

    What Are Proposition LL and Proposition MM?

    • Proposition LL: asks voters to retain the $12.4 million in additional funds raised by Proposition FF in its first year to fund Healthy School Meals for All. 

    • Proposition MM: Ensures continuation and full implementation of HSMA by raising up to $95 million in additional funds by further limiting tax deductions only for households making $300,000/year or more.
      • Keeps free school meals for all going this school year and beyond, including through the creation of a reserve to enhance long-term sustainability. 
      • Funds purchase of nutritious ingredients from local farmers and ranchers, from-scratch cooking training, development of parent and student advisory committees, and wage boosts for front-line staff.
      • After HSMA is fully funded, this proposition also supports SNAP and the Colorado families who rely on SNAP benefits to help afford groceries.