Some small Colorado counties plan to pay for food assistance as SNAP funding remains in limbo

DENVER (KDVR) — Recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in Colorado remain in limbo as the federal government shutdown continues.

On Monday, federal officials announced they would release partial funding for the food assistance program. However, it remains unclear how much money Coloradans will receive or when the funding will be distributed.

To fill the gap, some county governments are taking matters into their own hands.

Summit County commissioners plan to vote Tuesday on a proposal to spend more than $100,000 on grocery store gift cards for their 1,400 residents who rely on SNAP benefits. That’s roughly 45% of what the federal government would typically distribute in the county each month.

“Even if the federal government were to release money over the next couple