CB council hears from local food insecurity organizations on impacts of federal funding cuts
In time of uncertainty, looking for long-term solutions
By Mark Reaman
Crested Butte News
June 25, 2025
Some residents of the North Valley in Gunnison County are not immune to having to deal with food insecurity. Just because Crested Butte is a growing, increasingly wealthy community, doesn’t mean some people living in the area don’t have to worry about how to provide enough food for them or their families. That issue came to the Crested Butte town council on June 2.
Jodi Payne, executive director of the Gunnison Country Food Pantry (GCFP), and Holly Conn, executive director of Mountain Roots, presented the council with statistics showing more and more people are struggling to provide consistent food for their families, even in CB. They asked the council to be part of a local coalition of government entities willing to tackle the issue as federal cuts eliminate money to pay for food and personnel dealing with the food security issue.
“We are feeling the impacts of the uncertainty in our community,” said Conn. “Looking at numbers like the fact that 9% of Food Pantry recipients live in the North Valley along with what we provide with Mountain Roots, there are at least 350 individual people up here using one of our organizations.”
“Food insecurity comes with people day in and day out and many people are just surviving,” added Payne. “A lot of people are struggling to just make ends meet in this community.”
The two provided statistics for the county showing that more than one-third of students in the local schools qualify to receive free or reduced meals. Fifteen percent of the county’s population, or 2,530 people, received food assistance in 2024. There has been a 60% increase in food assistance since 2019 and one in five people faces food insecurity “which is significantly higher than the pre-Covid level of 10-15%.”
In their report to the council, Payne and Conn said a number of factors contribute to the situation. They noted the cost of living continues to outpace wages, especially for essential workers; a seasonal and tourism-based employment creates instability; housing pressures continue to push workers to the edge which is especially true for CB and Mt. CB where affordability is out of reach for many workers who staff local businesses; and federal safety net programs are shrinking while the need is growing.
In her manager’s report to the council, town manager Dara MacDonald informed the council that at least nine local nonprofits are at risk of losing significant federal funding or AmeriCorps staffing.
The report from Payne and Conn makes clear that “food insecurity is intensifying at a time when key funding streams are being reduced or eliminated. This jeopardizes the ability of frontline organizations like the GCFP and Mountain Roots to meet community needs. These cuts affect everything from staple grocery items to fresh produce to staffing capacity.”
“As leaders in the community, you are not just responsible for budgets and spreadsheets, but you are also stewards of the collective well-being,” said Conn. “With us and other partners, help us build a community safety net.”
“People are feeling the strain and things are getting harder,” said Payne. “It’s not just a health and human services issue, the ramifications of the situation impacts everyone. The federal funding cuts are exposing the fragile foundation of the current system.”
“As funding and donations decline, our organizations need to be prudent,” said Conn. “The conversations in our offices are about how to cut back our services given the uncertainty.”
“But now is not the time to slow down,” said Payne. “We need to roll up our sleeves and work harder. The question is, should we be frugal, or should we be brave?”
Conn emphasized that the local nonprofits would need to pick up the slack as funding sources become more unstable leading to a situation with less funding than before the pandemic while there is much more need than before the pandemic. “We need to come together locally to come up with long-term sustainable solutions.”
The two plan to approach all the local government entities and ask them to come to hard decisions before the fall budget cycles. There will be requests for financial and organizational assistance.
While acknowledging food insecurity issues were impacting workers in the North Valley, the Crested Butte councilmembers were appreciative of their efforts and open to further discussions over how to deal with the evolving situation.
Mayor Ian Billick said some questions for them to consider moving forward included: How much of the situation is a one or two year issue versus structural changes; how does Food Pantry services and Mountain Roots services differ from what Gunnison County provides; what can the county do compared to the municipalities since not all governments do the same thing; to what extent do the nonprofits want to invite more oversight with more government involvement; and how can the town’s grant program be utilized?
Conn and Payne said the questions were helpful and they will seek to return with more specific requests before town council begins delving into the 2026 budget cycle this fall. Their written report concludes that “now is the time to recommit to solutions that ensure every resident has access to the food they need — not just to survive, but to thrive.”
