Healthy Food for Denver's Kids 2023

This map includes a list of layers that can be turned on by clicking the box next to the label. If multiple layers are turned on, the bottom selection on the list might be hidden under another layer.

Some layers are grouped together into categories such as "food access locations" and "population characteristics". To view layers within those categories, click the arrow and box on the left side of category name. To view a layer's legend, activate the layer by toggling it on, then view the box on the bottom right corner of the map.

Review data for each neighborhood or food location by clicking on that feature in the map. A pop-up box will appear with information related to the activated layer. Sources for each layer are located in the pop-up box.

Share the map using the icons in the top right-hand corner of the screen. To view an expanded map, click the square in the top right corner with an arrow through it.

Through the  2018 Denver Ballot Measure 302  the Healthy Food for Denver’s Kids (HFDK) initiative proposes to increase taxes to establish a fund for healthy food and food-based education for Denver’s youth. The ballot measure was approved by 59% of voters on November 6, 2018 and went into effect in January 2019. The 0.08% increase in sales and use tax within the City and County of Denver is expected to generate approximately $11 million dollars annually and will sunset after 10 years. Funds will be collected from Jan. 1, 2019 through Dec. 31, 2028 and distributed by Dec. 31, 2029.

The funds are distributed through competitive grants to agencies of local government, public schools in Denver (including Denver Public Schools), and non-profit organizations, with an emphasis on serving low-income youth. Funding decisions are determined by a Commission made up of 13 non-profit, government, and community member volunteer appointees. The Commission is staffed by the Denver Department of Public Health & Environment (DDPHE). Since the passage of Ordinance 302, significant progress has been made on Healthy Food for Denver’s Kids, including: creating a Commission with bylaws, hiring staff, developing an evaluation structure, and granting out nearly $38 million dollars to more than 90 organizations.

As of July 2023, the Healthy Food for Denver’s Kids (HFDK) initiative has awarded close to $38 million in grant funding to feed Denver’s children and provide education about food and nutrition. The funds have been distributed through three rounds of competitive grants to non-profits and local government agencies, including DPS, who lead community-based food programs, in addition to a special round of COVID-19 emergency hunger relief funding in 2020 and micro-grants of $10,000 or less. The Denver Department of Public Health and Environment (DDPHE) has requested proposals on how to best improve children’s access to healthy foods and food-based education and skills, such as cooking and gardening.

The 51 organizations that have been awarded funds as part of competitive grant cycles in 2020, 2021, and 2022 include: 33 non-profits, nine schools or affiliates of Denver Public Schools, four early childhood education providers, four city agencies, and one college/university. Projects include providing healthy food to youth of all ages (0-18) through school food pantries, meal and snack programs, food distribution and delivery, grocery boxes and meal kits, and enrollment in federal nutrition assistance programs like SNAP, WIC and free or reduced-price school meals. Organizations are also educating and empowering youth and their families through food justice and leadership curriculum, cooking classes, and building and teaching in school gardens, urban farms, greenhouses, and hydroponic classrooms. See below for a summary of all the projects awarded as part of HFDK's first two funding cycles.