Hunger relief groups in New Mexico are heading into their busiest season with more households asking for help and less food coming through the door. Roadrunner Food Bank, the largest hunger relief organisation in the state, expects to serve 22,000 more households than at this time last year, according to its director of integrated marketing and communications, Dianna Sanchez.
At the pantry run by First Baptist Church in Rio Rancho, client visits have nearly tripled, while most of its supply comes directly from Roadrunner. Ministry director Cindy Dunnington said she could easily take 3,000 pounds of food a week in a good month; lately it has been more like 1,000 to 1,500 pounds.
St. Felix Pantry has dealt with supply shortfalls for months. Its operations coordinator, Jayma Reid, says supply levels have stabilised somewhat but the pressure remains intense — and what the pantry needs most is community support, food drive donations and about 10 more regular volunteers a month.
The squeeze will sound familiar in Toledo, where holiday demand rises on the same calendar. The New Mexico numbers show the shape of the problem clearly: need rising by the tens of thousands of households, at the same time as the pounds of food available per pantry are falling.
Source: Rio Rancho and New Mexico food pantries face high holiday demand — Duke City Wire (dukecitywire.com)
