IFCS | A Denver Area Food Bank and More to Nourish Lives

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IFCS: A Denver Area Food Bank and More To Nourish Lives
ELIGIBILITY & INCOME GUIDELINES

IFCS Enrichment Programs have the following Eligibility Criteria: If you do not meet these requirements, your household is not eligible to receive school supply support through IFCS.

1. Service Area (applications outside of these listed areas will not be accepted):

  • Western Arapahoe County: Centennial, Englewood, Glendale, Greenwood Village, Littleton, Sheridan, and unincorporated Arapahoe County.
  • Southwest Denver Neighborhoods: Bear Valley, College View, Fort Logan, Harvey Park, Harvey Park South, Marston & South Platte (Southwest Neighborhoods further defined as being south of Jewell and west of Santa Fe). 
  • Northern Douglas County: Highlands Ranch, Littleton, and Lone Tree.

  • Jefferson County: All addresses within the county will be considered.

2. Income Guidelines (household size/income must not exceed 200% of 2026 Federal Poverty Level, and be verifiable)

3. Applicant and Student Guidelines (applicant must be the parent, legal guardian or caregiver of children who are entering Kindergarten through 8th grade for the 2026-27 school year)

4. Photo I.D. Requirement

5. Availability for Pickup (Only those who are able to pickup school supplies on Wednesday, July 22, 2026 may apply.)

STEP 1: Submit an Interest Form.

STEP 2: If eligible, you will receive a link to complete a Registration Form.

STEP 3: If you meet eligibility criteria and are also selected for school supply assistance, you will receive information about pickup.

We use a priority number system based on past usage, so first-time participants are prioritized. However, due to this system and sponsor availability, we can’t guarantee that every family will be sponsored.

2026-27 Ready, Set, School! Interest Form

If you are the legal guardian or caregiver of K-8th grade school children, please complete the following form to confirm program eligibility. If you meet all eligibility requirements and are selected to participate in the 2026-27 program, you will receive a follow-up email with link to complete program registration within 2-3 business days after Interest Form submission.

PLEASE NOTE: Completing this Interest Form is Step 1 of 3 in the application process.

The 2026-27 Ready, Set, School! Interest Form Closed May 11, 2026 at 10:00 am. Please check back next year.

You may find other backpack programs by contacting the Mile High United Way 2-1-1 Help Center.

Eligibility

Applicant Information

When you hit the "submit" button, a confirmation email containing your form submission information will be sent to your email address; please check your junk mail/spam folder if you don't see it within 30 minutes. 

Eligibility Guidelines

IFCS Enrichment Programs have service area and income guidelines.

SERVICE AREA GUIDELINES:
For IFCS Enrichment Programs, we have a service area covering:

  • Western Arapahoe County: Centennial, Englewood, Glendale, Greenwood Village, Littleton, Sheridan, and unincorporated Arapahoe County.
  • Southwest Denver Neighborhoods: Bear Valley, College View, Fort Logan, Harvey Park, Harvey Park South, Marston & South Platte (Southwest Neighborhoods further defined as being south of Jewell and west of Santa Fe).
  • Northern Douglas County: Highlands Ranch, Littleton, and Lone Tree.

  • Jefferson County: All addresses within the county will be considered.

Applications outside of these listed areas will not be accepted.


INCOME GUIDELINES:
As of March 1, 2026, a household may meet income-based standards in either of the following two ways:

  1. Participate in one of these public assistance programs:
    • Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP)
    • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
    • Low-income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP)
    • Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)
    • Old Age Pension (OAP)
    • Aid to Needy Disabled (AND)
    • Aid to the Blind (AB)
    • Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
    • Medicaid Eligible Foster Children
  1. If the household does not participate in any of the above public assistance programs, the household must have a combined gross income that does not exceed the maximum income limit for the applicable household size.

ADDITIONAL ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES:
Please refer to the Interest Form for additional, program-specific criteria.

Non-Discrimination Statement

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or  retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

  1. Mail:
    U.S. Department of Agriculture
    Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
    1400 Independence Avenue, SW
    Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
  2. Fax:
    (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or 
  3. Email:
    program.intake@usda.gov

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

This statement was updated 8.3.22 in accordance with USDA updates and guidelines.

Eligibility and Income Guidelines

Anyone experiencing food insecurity and self-identifying as meeting the Income Guidelines below is eligible for IFCS Food Market services.

Income Guidelines:
As of March 1, 2026, a household may meet income-based standards in either of the following two ways:

  1. Participate in one of these public assistance programs:
    • Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP)
    • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
    • Low-income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP)
    • Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)
    • Old Age Pension (OAP)
    • Aid to Needy Disabled (AND)
    • Aid to the Blind (AB)
    • Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
    • Medicaid Eligible Foster Children
  1. If the household does not participate in any of the above public assistance programs, the household must meet the requirements based on the chart below, having a combined gross income not exceeding the maximum income limit for the applicable household size.

For IFCS Financial Assistance Programs (Rental and Utility Bill Payment Assistance) and seasonal Enrichment Programs, we have a service area covering:

  • Western Arapahoe County: Centennial, Englewood, Glendale, Greenwood Village, Littleton, Sheridan, and unincorporated Arapahoe County.
  • Southwest Denver Neighborhoods: Bear Valley, College View, Fort Logan, Harvey Park, Harvey Park South, Marston & South Platte (Southwest Neighborhoods further defined as being south of Jewell and west of Santa Fe).
  • Northern Douglas County: Highlands Ranch, Littleton, and Lone Tree.

  • Jefferson County: All addresses within the county will be considered.

 Applications outside of these listed areas will not be accepted. (Central Denver, North Denver, and Aurora applications will not be accepted.)