In Colorado, more than 600,000 workers received benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, in October 2025. This federal program protects low-income children, disabled adults and workers from hunger by providing money to help them buy groceries.

Thousands of Coloradans employed by major corporations, including 2,300 Amazon workers and more than 1,000 workers at King Soopers, use SNAP benefits.

There are also hundreds of recipients who work for local organizations, including nearly 600 employees of the Denver Public Schools system, according to data I evaluated after it was obtained by The Conversation from the Colorado Department of Human Services.

“The findings are a sobering reflection of the economic pressures facing Denver Public Schools staff and K-12 educators everywhere,” said Scott Pribble, director of external communications for Denver Public Schools, in an email to The Conversation.

Denver Public Schools offers some of the highest teacher pay in Colorado and has a minimum hourly rate of $20 for all staff, according to Pribble.

“While we are proud of our current compensation packages, we recognize the need to do more. We are constantly striving to provide higher wages for all staff members,” Pribble wrote.

The data provided by the state has limitations. It does not show how many hours each SNAP recipient works — so we don’t know how many of the workers mentioned above are part-time or seasonal employees.

But the reality is that even full-time workers can receive SNAP benefits. Workers earning at or near the state minimum wage often qualify because their wages, even for full-time work, are still low.

As a social work researcher, I study policies that support working families. I have examined how health and household economic security are affected by paid family and medical leave, universal basic income and childcare subsidies for low- and middle-income workers.

A national problem that’s acute in........

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