The Denver City Council Health and Safety Committee on July 1 voted to advance a block of 13 grant resolutions to the full council that would fund community food‑access and nutrition education projects under the Healthy Food for Denver’s Kids program. The request was presented by staff from the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment, and the motion to move the block to the council floor was made by Council Member Jamie Torres and seconded by Council Member Amanda Sawyer.

The resolutions implement spending from a voter‑approved local initiative, commonly called Healthy Food for Denver’s Kids (HFDK). “This initiative was established by a resident‑led ballot measure approved in February 2018,” said Mikaela Mullins, program associate for the initiative. The ballot measure (referred to in the presentation as Measure 302) authorized a 0.08 percent sales tax increase — about a penny on a $10 purchase — to create a special revenue fund for healthy food access and food‑based education for Denver youth.

The program’s mandate and fiscal timeline were a central focus of the presentation. Stephanie Briggs, contract compliance administrator for HFDK, told the committee the tax began collecting funds on Jan. 1, 2019, and that ballot language requires the funds be distributed through Dec. 31, 2029. Briggs said the ballot language limits city administrative use to no more than 10 percent of revenues.

Why it matters: HFDK directs voter‑approved local tax revenue into grants intended to increase nutritious food access and food education for children and families in Denver. Committee members pressed staff on how the program will respond to changing federal nutrition assistance rules and on how multiyear grants and contingencies are managed.

Program scope and impact

Presenters summarized five funding cohorts and the program’s midterm results. “In 2024 alone, our grantee partners served just over 149,000 unique families or households,” Mullins said. Staff reported that, since August 2020, grantees have distributed more than 47 million meals and snacks, created more than 670 youth jobs, and distributed over 34 million pounds of food. Briggs told the committee that the initiative has committed roughly $97 million to date across about 104 contracts and later provided an updated total of nearly $99.4 million awarded to 113 unique organizations.

Staff described the HFDK commission and grant process. The commission is a 13‑member, mayoral‑appointed body that meets bimonthly and guides funding strategy; DDPHE staff provide operational support and evaluation. Eligible grantees include Denver nonprofits, Denver Public Schools, and city agencies; funded activities include healthy meals and snacks, nutrition and gardening education, free distribution (mobile markets, school pantries), and SNAP/WIC outreach and enrollment assistance.

Funding mechanics and reserves

Briggs explained that the program issues both larger multi‑year awards and smaller “microgrants” to increase accessibility for smaller community organizations. Staff said average cohort commitments equal roughly $10–$15 million, with contracts commonly spanning three years. For stewardship, staff identified a set of reserved amounts from program revenue: approximately $13.6 million allocated for administration (within the 10 percent cap), roughly $6.8 million held as contingency, and $16.8 million designated for an upcoming cohort and microgrants covering contract terms from 2026–2029.

Council questions and staff responses

Council members asked how HFDK will respond to federal changes to nutrition assistance. “We are preparing our future funding strategy and paying attention to cuts to SNAP and WIC,” Mullins said, describing a dual approach of continuing investments in direct food distribution while preserving funding opportunities for partners that perform SNAP and WIC enrollment and outreach.

Council Member Torres praised the program’s reach and raised the scale of federal cuts to SNAP and WIC, arguing the city cannot fully replace those reductions. Torres asked staff to track household‑level effects of the program in the context of federal changes. Several council members asked for follow‑up data on specific grantees and geographic coverage; staff agreed to verify district coverage for grantees mentioned in the discussion and to provide details on administrative spending.

Committee action and next steps

The committee approved the block motion to advance the 13 resolutions to the full council (motion: Council Member Jamie Torres; second: Council Member Amanda Sawyer). Committee members indicated they expect final action on the council floor. Staff also played a halfway‑point celebration video summarizing program accomplishments and outreach events; staff said they will continue evaluation work and technical assistance to grantees.

Staff indicated HFDK will continue making awards through the program’s sunset period and that the commission and DDPHE are developing the next RFP cycle planned for late 2025 or early 2026. The committee did not alter program policy in this session and directed staff to provide follow‑up details requested by council members.