Bright by Text Launches New Program to Connect Denver Families to Food
DENVER, CO, Sept 11, 2023 – Every child and family deserves healthy food. Yet 1 in 3 families in Colorado have trouble affording it.
Parents in Denver now have a supportive, free resource at their literal fingertips to offer assistance and connect their families to food resources.
Parents who text the word MEAL to 274 448 will receive weekly text messages with connections to federal resources like WIC and SNAP, and local resources by zip code including food distribution sites and local agencies.
Families may not be participating in national or local food programs for a number of reasons–but often they simply don’t know these programs exist or that they’re eligible.
MEAL messages will provide information about food resources, attempt to address barriers to accessing them, and will help parents feel supported–not stigmatized–as they do their best for their families.
The MEAL program will continue for one year, with frequent, simple evaluation methods to ensure families are getting the information they need most. Messages are free, and are offered in both English and Spanish. Families can sign up anytime by texting MEAL to 274 448 or filling out a simple form at www.brightbytext.org/meal. Participants’ information is never shared or sold.
“A consistent and balanced diet helps childrens’ brains and bodies grow up strong,” said Jodie Fishman, Chief Content Officer for Bright by Text. “But healthy food can be expensive. We hope to use the lessons we learn in Denver to expand this program to more cities across the country.”
MEAL messages are part of the larger Bright by Text program, which delivers actionable information from trusted early childhood experts to more than 130,000 parents and caregivers of children, prenatally through age eight, across the United States. Bright by Text is proven to build nurturing caregiver-child relationships, strengthen families, promote a child’s healthy development, and improve school readiness.
Media Inquiries:
Jodie Fishman, Chief Content Officer, Bright by Text
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