Fort Collins Restaurants and Businesses Rally to Support Residents During SNAP Benefit Suspension
Multiple Fort Collins restaurants and businesses have organized volunteer-driven relief efforts to provide free food to residents affected by the federal government shutdown that suspended SNAP benefits in November.
Friendly Nick's Butcher, which raised $75,000 for SNAP benefit relief, posted on November 3 that volunteers are needed to help distribute food. The business created a scheduling system seeking two volunteers per hour to assist with the relief effort.
Philippe French Bistro announced it will offer free Beef Bourguignon and potato gratin, ready to warm up, to anyone losing SNAP benefits or federal workers who are furloughed or working without pay during the shutdown. The bistro launched this program to combat food insecurity among Northern Colorado residents.
Panhandler's Pizza introduced a "Slices for Kindness" program for those facing SNAP benefit loss and federal workers affected by the shutdown. The restaurant will display hearts on the wall that customers can exchange for pizza slices without questions asked. Panhandler's will match any slice of kindness purchased in November.
The shutdown has left over 600,000 Coloradans across approximately 330,000 households without monthly food support, according to the Colorado Department of Human Services. About half of beneficiaries are children, while 10 percent are elderly and 15 percent are people with disabilities.
The USDA instructed states to stop issuing November benefits, leaving recipients without access to funds typically distributed at the start of each month through Electronic Benefit Transfer cards. Colorado typically distributes over $120 million per month in federal nutrition funds statewide.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis requested legislative approval to allocate $10 million from the state general fund to support food banks and pantries during the shutdown, though this does not cover direct SNAP payments.
Under Colorado's Good Faith Donor Act, restaurants and food facilities receive civil liability protection when donating food in good faith, provided they maintain food safety standards required by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. The same food safety requirements that apply to regular restaurant service also apply to charitable food distribution.
Community members interested in volunteering with Friendly Nick's Butcher can access the scheduling system through the business's social media channels.