In the Heart of Skiing, a Battle with Food Insecurity

Cost of Living and Housing: Squeezing Residents' Income

Recent years have witnessed a significant explosion in the cost of living and housing for locals in Summit County. As grocery prices in Western states, including Colorado, increased by nearly 10% between 2022 and 2023, and food prices remained high even as inflation subsided, residents found themselves struggling to make ends meet. The median home price in Summit County shot up by 30% from mid-2023 to mid-2024, making it increasingly difficult for locals to afford a place to call home. Breckenridge, now the third-most-expensive town with a population under 50,000 in America, exemplifies this trend.

This surge in housing costs has sucked up most of residents' income, leaving them with little to spare for other essential needs like food. As Calvin pointed out, "People's needs skyrocketed during COVID, and that hasn't changed." The seasonal nature of the economy also adds to the insecurity, with workers like those cleaning hotels or bed and breakfasts often not getting enough hours to make ends meet, especially in the off-seasons of spring and fall.

Food Insecurity: A Growing Problem

In the same place where people pay as much as $225 for a one-day lift ticket to ski, the demand for food assistance has seen a 600% increase since 2019. Summit County now has eight different food bank programs, with organizations like CAFE Food Rescue playing a crucial role. Smart Bellies, for instance, is serving 565 families and 1,150 kids weekly in Summit and Lake counties, with 58 new families enrolling in just the past two weeks.

The Family and Intercultural Resource Center went from about 24 visits a day to its food market to more than 363 daily visits in six years. Despite this, many locals don't qualify for federal SNAP benefits because the aid is based on a national standard income with a maximum of $39,000 for a family of four. As a result, they find themselves in a no-man's land, needing aid but not qualifying for it.

Community Response: Filling the Gap

The community of Summit County has responded in an extraordinary and collaborative way to address this issue. CAFE Food Rescue, for one, opened The Hub in Silverthorne on Oct. 24, a repurposed Pizza Hut equipped with commercial-grade kitchen equipment and a walk-in refrigerator and freezer. This spacious building serves as the county's nerve center for collecting food and getting it to those in need.

CAFE Food Rescue recovers excess food from various sources such as grocery stores, event centers, restaurants, cafes, and caterers. Volunteers regularly pick up food from Whole Foods with sell-by dates that are three or four days past the packing date but are still good for another two to three days. This food is repackaged and delivered quickly to families in need before it expires.

The community has also supported CAFE Food Rescue financially, with one-third of their support coming from local and county government grants, one-third from local and state foundations, and the rest from individual donations from Summit County residents and visitors. Calvin's presentations to wealthy visitors have opened their eyes and wallets, demonstrating the community's care for each other.

In conclusion, Summit County's story is a complex one, highlighting the challenges faced by communities with a high cost of living and food insecurity. But through the efforts of organizations like CAFE Food Rescue and the collaborative spirit of the community, there is hope for a better future.