Windsor Playground Offers Free Activities and Meals to Families Affected by SNAP Benefit Issues
Lil Monsters Playground in Windsor is hosting a special evening event November 13 for families experiencing difficulties accessing their SNAP food assistance benefits, offering free admission and complimentary pizza donated by Domino's.
The indoor play facility at 1224 Automation Drive Unit A invited EBT cardholders to visit at 5 p.m. to receive free play time and meals, requiring only that families show their EBT cards at check-in. The venue also scheduled a screening of the Disney film "Brave."
The community response comes as Northern Colorado families continue recovering from recent disruptions to SNAP benefits that affected more than 600,000 Colorado residents earlier in November. While full benefits resumed after a week-long suspension tied to the federal government shutdown, many households still face ongoing challenges with benefit access.
According to data from the Colorado Department of Human Services, SNAP participation rates in Weld County stand at approximately 6.2 percent of residents, despite more than 10 percent of households experiencing food insecurity. In Larimer County, approximately 5.8 percent of residents receive SNAP benefits while food insecurity affects a similar proportion of households.
This gap indicates many eligible residents may not be receiving benefits due to application delays, incomplete documentation, technical problems with EBT cards, or eligibility assessment challenges stemming from fluctuating incomes or changing household circumstances.
Lil Monsters Playground, which serves families with children from infancy through elementary school age, encouraged repeat attendance for families who participated in previous support events. The facility has established itself as a community resource in Windsor, partnering with local organizations to provide accessible recreational opportunities for families facing economic barriers.
The November 13 event represents one of several community responses to food access challenges in Northern Colorado. Earlier this month, Food Bank for Larimer County held multiple mobile market distributions, and a Fort Collins butcher shop raised more than $100,000 to provide free meat packages to SNAP-affected families during the benefit suspension.
SNAP recipients experiencing continued difficulties accessing benefits can contact Weld County Human Services or file applications online through county Human Services departments. Benefits are loaded monthly onto EBT cards after county workers verify household income, assets and composition.