When Policy Changes Hit Home: What SNAP Cuts Mean for Our Neighbors

If you live in Boulder County, you probably drive past million-dollar homes every day. But hidden among the wealth are longtime neighbors who are just barely getting by. Many of them are older adults who are determined to stay in their homes and hold onto their independence.

For a lot of these folks, staying independent is possible only because of federal benefits programs like SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). But recent changes in policy have quietly added new hurdles for some of the most vulnerable. Groups who were once exempt from work requirements—including veterans—now have to prove they’re working to keep their benefits, even if health, age, or disability make work impossible. 

These benefits are lifelines, not luxuries. Many of our clients insist on contributing to the cost of their meals, even when they’re struggling. They take pride in their independence.

At Coal Creek Meals on Wheels, these policy changes aren’t just headlines or statistics. They’re personal. Every weekday, our volunteers deliver hot meals to our neighbors’ doors, along with a friendly face and a moment of connection. We can see and feel the mounting worry among our neighbors about cuts to our community’s support systems.

We’ve been here before. When COVID-era SNAP benefits ended in 2023, the need for our services doubled in just over three months. We made it work, but it wasn’t easy. Now, with new SNAP requirements coming as soon as October 2025—and more big changes planned for 2027 and 2028—we’re bracing for another surge in need.

As our Executive Director, Nate Broeckert has said, “Hunger isn’t an isolated issue. When people in our community are hungry, we all feel the cost—whether in increased demand for emergency services, declining health outcomes, or higher medical and social service expenses.” Food insecurity comes at a steep cost to communities. Research shows that lack of access to consistent, nutritious food leads to higher healthcare costs, greater reliance on emergency rooms, and reduced workforce productivity.

Nonprofits like ours were never meant to carry this burden alone. We’re here to partner with local and federal programs, to be a bridge—not the only safety net. But these changes shift more and more responsibility onto us, without providing the resources to keep up.

We’ll do everything we can, but we can’t do it without you. If we don’t step up as a community, the impact will be felt directly by our neighbors. 

Now is the time to rally around one another. No one in Boulder County should have to choose between accessing food and other basic needs. And together, we can make sure they don’t.