SNAP-Ed

Success stories

Colorado's SNAP-Ed program works with its partner organizations to help boost nutrition education and healthy food access at the local level. The following snapshots are among the many success stories that the federal SNAP-Ed program has highlighted.

Empowering college students to thrive at Rowdy's Corner

Colorado's SNAP-Ed program partners with Cooking Matters Colorado to provide nutrition education at Metro State University (MSU), aiming to combat food insecurity among students. In 2021, Cooking Matters collaborated with the university to enhance food skills education and promote the on-campus food pantry, which expanded to a 1,000-square-foot facility named Rowdy’s Corner in 2022. This pantry operates like a small grocery store, offering fresh produce and refrigerated items.

Cooking Matters holds recipe demonstrations at Rowdy’s Corner, teaching students to prepare healthy meals using pantry ingredients. Students receive take-home recipes and frameworks for creating meals with available ingredients. These sessions, which educate up to 50 students at a time, also provide a hot meal and opportunities for students to ask questions.

Culturally responsive outreach to refugees by text message

SNAP-Ed partners with Text2LiveHealthy, a text message program that delivers nutrition and physical activity education to SNAP-eligible communities. Participants receive messages with recipes, tips, and resources to help them eat more fruits and vegetables, reduce sugar-sweetened beverage intake, and increase physical activity. Messages also connect them to local events and resources.

Text2LiveHealthy was adapted for adult, English-speaking refugees in Colorado through a partnership with iNOW. Community navigators from seven refugee groups tailored the messages to reflect dietary restrictions, cultural preferences, and language skills, recruiting eligible participants. Since its 2021 launch, 425 refugees joined, with only 10% opting out. Evaluations showed improvements in fruit and vegetable intake (82.8%), reduced sugary drink consumption (81.3%), and increased physical activity (100%).

Increasing access to healthy food at local corner store

SNAP-Ed partners with Cooking Matters and the School Wellness Program to help local corner stores like El Tepetate increase healthier offerings. The owners of El Tepetate, a cornerstone of Denver's Latino community for over 25 years, sought to educate customers on the nutritional value of fruits and vegetables. SWP and Cooking Matters provided Nutrition Nuggets — point-of-purchase information signs with nutritional facts and recipes — and recipe cards to enhance customer knowledge. The store owners displayed these materials throughout the year, resulting in increased interest in buying fruits and vegetables. They adapted their offerings based on seasonal produce and community feedback, even adding a three-bin sink to sell peeled and cut fruit.

The partnership plans to expand strategies and continue providing Nutrition Nuggets, fostering a lasting relationship with the community to promote healthy eating.