The SanTa fe new Mexican • www.santafenewmexican.com

Building Hope

how food banking works • where to find food when you need it

The Food Depot is working to end hunger in Northern New Mexico

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Building hope 3

4 building hope

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Santa Fe Food Policy CouncilJust and Sustainable Food for ALL

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Working together for a better food system!

Building hope 5

BuildingHopeThe FoodDepot is

puBlished april 17, 2013

Inside6 Amessage from Sherry Hooper

8 The face of hunger inNewMexico

12 Mission: ending hunger

14 Building hope

16 The FoodDepot’smajor programs

18 Raising fundswith soup, pie

20 How to support The FoodDepot

22 Where to find foodwhen you need it

25 State, federal programs for the hungry

Cover photoKitty leaKenramirez thomas elementary school children from left,Zitaly gutierrez garcia, ashley perez perez and aileenVeleta gomez

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6 building hope

Ourwork at The FoodDepot brings us both joy and heartache.Hunger is closer than you think. Chances are you know someonewho is

hungry. Every day, we at The FoodDepotsee peoplewho need our help. Grandparentswho have taken responsibility for theirgrandchildren request food because of theextramouths they have to feed. As they sharetheir stories, tears begin streaming down theirfaces— they are so proud, it’s hard for them to ask for food. But theymust.We seeworking families struggling to put food on the table. Once they have paid their

fixed expenses like rent, utilities and fuel, there is little left of theirmonthly budgets.Howwill they buy the food they need to feed their families?We see childrenwho areeager to take Food 4Kids backpacks filledwith food home so they have something to eatover theweekend. Before they received their backpacks, they often didn’t eat betweenschool lunches. One child shared that hewas happy to get a Food 4Kids backpack. He

felt proud to help hismother feed their family. Our hearts ache that somany are still struggling.Fortunately, we also see thewonderful generosity of our community and business partners. Upon sharing the dire

hunger statistics forNorthernNewMexico, the first questionwe hear is “How can I help?”Members of our responsive community offer to volunteer their time, organize a food drive at their place of worship

or business, or provide financial support of hunger-relief efforts inNorthernNewMexico. Some regularly deliverthe gifts of their gardens, while othersmay contributewhat they can, down to a single dollar. Our business partners,such as local grocery stores, bakeries and farmers, offer their support by giving us food. Every day, our communitydemonstrates its commitment to ending hunger.We find joy in that commitment.We see the amazing passion and generosity of our partner agencies, those individuals on the front lines of hunger

relief. Their staffs and volunteers work hard to prepare bags of food for families in need, offer hotmeals to peoplewho are homebound, and providemeals for our children after school. Partner agencies such as KitchenAngels, Foodfor Santa Fe, Española’s St. Vincent de Paul, Taos’ St. James food pantry, Raton’s Senior Center and somany othersoverwhelm uswith their compassion for our hungry neighbors.We find joy in their dedication.

We realize it’s sometimes difficult to believe that hunger exists inNorthernNewMexico.We don’t see famine ormass starvation here— terrible tragedies, but not something that affects people every day in our community. Buthunger does exist here. It is likely to show itself as an undernourished childwho can’t concentrate in school, a seniorwho routinely chooses between food andmedicine, or aworking family that struggles tomake endsmeet.

Let’s come together to end the crisis of hunger. In a land of plenty, no one should go hungry.

SherryHooperExecutive DirectorThe FoodDepot

Amessage from Sherry Hooper

Building hope 7

8 building hope

By DeBorah Busemeyer

Dawn and SteveGurule selected food from long tables coveredwithproteins, produce and bread on a recent Tuesdaymorning at St.John’s UnitedMethodist Bag ’nHand Pantry. Steve startedworkingnights washing dishes at Buffalo Thunder Resort andCasino recently,but the extra food has kept them going through his unemployment.“Katelynwould love these,” Dawn said to her husband as she picked

up the plastic container of croissants for their 5-year-old daughter.Steve juggled bags of carrots, orange juice and canned goods— all partof the thousands of pounds of food the pantry programprovides eachweek to peoplewho need support.“Itmeanswe havemoremoney to pay bills,” said Dawn, an

executive secretary at theNewMexico Department of Health. “Foodhas gotten really expensive. Every little bit helps.”Since 2001, the Bag ’nHand Pantry has provided food to people

twice aweek as part of themission of the church at the corner ofCordova Road andOld Pecos Trail. In the last three years, the 30

The face of hunger inNewMexicoSanta Fe pantries make a difference

WHAT WOULD YOU ELIMINATE?

A FAMILY OF FOURWITH 2 FULL TIME MINIMUM WAGE JOBS

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THEY EARN

$3,140AFTER TAXES

PER MONTH

$686

Negative$602

AFTER EXPENSES

GAS

$967

$393

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$779

http://livingwage.mit.edu/ © 2013 Dr. Amy K. Glasmeier and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Transportation Housing

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ClydeMuellerFood for Santa Fe volunteers prepare and distribute hundreds of bags of groceries from the loading dock at The Food Depot on Siler Road.

Building hope 9

volunteers havewatched the demand for the program double.Their clients comewith elderly parents, young children and their

neighbors. Some are homeless.Many areworking or on fixed incomesbecause of their health.“Our clients are really lovely, and I appreciate that these people

are struggling andworking their butts off,” said Laura Steward, whoregisters people as they get in line for food. “They are just holdingon by their fingernails. The pantry is designed to get people throughrough spots, and some rough spots last a long time.”The program, staffed and funded entirely by volunteers and

fundraising efforts, is one of 135 that partnerwith The FoodDepotto distribute food to people in a nine-county area of NorthernNewMexico. Peoplewho go to such programs reflect the population ofthose hungry inNewMexico— children, elderly, rural residents andtheworking poor.John Goldman, 83, said he visits Bag ’n Hand every Tuesday to

pick up food for a father and sonwho seem too embarrassed to seekhelp. Their rent increased somuch that they barelymake a living,Goldman said.

“This is awonderful resource here for peoplewho need it,” he said.Thosewhoworkwith individuals seeking food assistance say they

know some people reject help or are unable to seek help because theydon’t have transportation ormoney for gas.

Kristin Slater-Huff coordinates the city of Santa Fe’s RetiredSenior Volunteer Program and places several volunteers in food-assistance programs. These volunteers are sensitive to the feelings ofhungry seniors. “Seniors struggle with shame about [going hungry]—it’s embarrassing for them to need help,” she said.

Hunger studies report dire statistics:•TheUSDA reports that one in six Americans reported strugglingwith hunger in 2011.•A report by FoodResearch Action Center concluded in 2012 that18 percent of NewMexican households reported not having enoughmoney to buy the food their families needed.•NewMexico ranks seventh in the nation for the percentage ofhouseholds that report having food insecurity, according to FeedingAmerica.“I think hunger is a crisis and probably there is not enough being

done about it in our country,” said SherryHooper, executive directorof The FoodDepot, one of five food banks inNewMexico.

“Closer than you think”Thousands of NewMexicans receive food stamps and othergovernmental assistance, but often those programs don’t provideenough to sustain families. The FoodDepot provided food for nearlyfivemillionmeals last year, and 47 percent went to Santa FeCounty

courtesy

10 building hope

residents in need, according to the food bank’s statistics.OftenHooper cites the phrase, “Hunger is closer than you think,”

because there are peoplewhowork hard and live paycheck topaycheck until one unexpected expense— a flat tire or a doctor visit— prevents them from being able to pay all their bills. “I think thatpeople don’t realize how close they are to hunger,” she said.Hunger inNewMexico can be hidden. No onemay know that

someone stopped off to grab bags of food at Bag ’nHand before goingtowork or that amotherwatered down her children’smilk tomake itlast longer.“We see images on the national news of horrifying starvation

happening in other countries,” Hooper said. “That’s whatwe thinkhunger looks like, but that’s not true for our community or for ourcountry. Hunger heremeans two or three families living under oneroof and parents skippingmeals so their kids can eat. Itmeans thereare grandparents who are raising grandchildren on their SocialSecurity and can’tmake it so they turn to a food pantry for help.”According to theNewMexico Association of Food Banks, about

a third of households seeking food assistance include at least oneemployed adult, and only 8 percent are homeless. TheGurules neededfood assistancewhen SteveGurulewas unemployed, even thoughDawnGurule has had a full-time job for 15 years.“InNewMexico, the biggest challenge that people face ismaking a

livingwage that allows them to pay all the bills they need to pay andhave access to food for their families,” said KathyKomoll, director ofNewMexico Association of Food Banks.Often people need assistance once they can no longerwork due

to their age or health. Each yearmore Santa Fe seniors seek supportthrough the city of Santa Fe’s home-delivery program,Meals onWheels, andmeals served at senior centers, according to RonVialpando, director of the city’s Senior Services Division. The city,which is the biggest financial supporter of the program, provides140,000 home-deliveredmeals annually.Slater-Huff places 600 volunteers with different Santa Fe agencies,

such as Food for Santa Fe. Some people seeking assistance havespecific dietary needs, can no longer preparemeals by themselvesand also can’t afford to buy expensive preparedmeals. Others savedmoney for retirement that was lost in the financial crisis. Someseniors say they ran out of savingswhen they lost the support of theirfamilies whomoved away, she said.“We have people come inwho have always struggledwith food

scarcity and also peoplewho have been on the other end of the scaleand are now seeking assistance,” said Slater-Huff.Peoplewho live in rural areas and have low incomes have

additional challenges— fewer resources and limited access tonutritious food.Many remote communities are considered “fooddeserts,” whichmeans residents can’t easily get access to fresh,nutritious food.“It’s a huge issue here,” Komoll said. “There are somany counties

where people have limited access to grocery stores. Evenwhen thereis a grocery store in rural areas, frequently the food costsmore, sopeople’s food dollars don’t go as far. This is in areaswherewages arelow, so it’s a doublewhammy.”The need for food assistance can be driven by a crisis or violence.

Clients at Esperanza Shelter for Battered Families come to the Santa

Fe shelter with nothing, exceptmaybe a couple of bags of clothes,said Christy O’Neil, interim co-executive director of the domestic-violence shelter. Esperanza buys food fromThe FoodDepot atsignificantly reduced rates to feed the families who stay in the shelter.“Food, housing and clothes are all that is needed to stabilize people

so they can get away from a domestic-violence situation,” O’Neilsaid. “All those needs can hold them back, especially when you havechildren. You don’t want to put your children in a situationwhere youcan’t feed them.”The FoodDepot and government-funded programs try to assist

families who can’tmake it on their own. At Salazar ElementarySchool, 97 percent of students eat free or reduced-cost lunch due tolow incomes in their families.The school off of Osage Avenue provides almost 100 kidswith

backpacks of food eachweekend throughThe FoodDepot’s Food 4Kids program. OnFridays, children receive backpacks filledwithnon-perishables such as granola bars, beef sticks and cans of tunaand lasagna. The program is one of several resources Salazar offersfamilies who need help financially.“We are trying to not only reach the kids and their needs but also

their families so the kids are productive in school,” said principalVanessa Romero.Theneed for food assistance in SantaFe and throughoutNew

Mexico is tremendous. The generosity ofNewMexicans is evident too.At St. John’s Bag ’nHand, churchmembers and community

volunteers get to know their clients, mostly regulars who are friendlyand appreciative. Oneman delivered a check after he announced hepassed the bar and didn’t need the pantry’s services anymore.“I think our biggest thing is howwe treat our clients,” said Ruth

D’Arcy, who volunteers with her husband, Paul D’Arcy. “We reallycare about them.We know them.”She reflected onwhy she volunteers each Tuesday. “I feel like it’s

the best thing I do all week.”

Who is hungry?• According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 17.4 millionAmerican families — almost 15 percent of U.S. households—are now food insecure.• Every week, almost 40,000 NewMexicans seek foodassistance.• Thirteen percent are seniors.• Forty percent are children, and seven percent are youngerthan 5.• The average monthly income for an individual or familyseeking food is $900 a month.• Forty-one percent report that at least one person in theirhouse is in poor health.• Almost half of people needing assistance choose betweenpaying for food and medicine or medical care.• About 40 percent choose between paying for food and theirrent or mortgage.Source: newMexico hunger Study by newMexico Association of Foodbanks and Feeding America, 2010

Building hope 11

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12 building hope

By DeBorah Busemeyer

Anyonewho has ever shared ameal at the Salvation Army or receiveda lunch bag fromBienvenidos Outreach can thankThe FoodDepot,NorthernNewMexico’s food bank.Food banks collect surplus food from foodmanufacturers, grocery

stores and farmers. NewMexico’s five food banks distribute food to650 charities in 33 counties that connect directly with people in need,according to theNewMexico Association of Food Banks. Each yearthis network serves about 238,000NewMexicanswho don’t haveadequate resources to feed themselves and their children.Their goal is simple: Eliminate hunger.The FoodDepot, which operates out of Santa Fe, supplies 135

agencies— about half in town and another half in the surroundingcounties of Colfax, Union,Mora, Rio Arriba, Los Alamos, Taos, SanMiguel andHarding. Its service area is vast— atmore than 26,000squaremiles, it’s larger than the state ofWest Virginia.Organizations that partnerwith The FoodDepot include group

homes, domestic violence and homeless shelters, youth and seniorprograms, emergency food pantries and soup kitchens. In 2012, TheFoodDepot provided 3.7million pounds of food to these nonprofits.“We couldn’t do our workwithout The Food Depot,” said Ruth

D’Arcy, who volunteers with St. John’s UnitedMethodist’s Bag ’nHand Pantry.

In addition to donations contributed by community and churchmembers, Bag ’nHand budgets $1,450 permonth for suppliesit acquires fromThe FoodDepot to provide food to about 200households eachweek— although, the food bank said, the programhas yet to spend thismuch. The pantry spends another $15,000 ayear to provide a balanced, nutritional assortment of food, includingturkeys and hams for Thanksgiving and fresh eggs from localsuppliers. One-third of the pantry’s clients are children.No individual receiving food ever pays for it.The Food Depot raisesmoney to cover the costs of 75 percent of

the food it supplies to agencies, and it charges a “sharedmaintenancefee” to cover the costs of having Feeding America, the nation’sleading domestic hunger-relief charity, ship food to NewMexico,said The Food Depot’s executive director Sherry Hooper. That feeamounts to 16 cents a pound and is not charged on dairy, eggs, bakedgoods or fresh produce.

Feeding America provided about 20 percent of the 2.95millionpounds of the donated/rescued food that The FoodDepot receivedin 2012, according to the food bank’s statistics. The organizationcollects donations from large companies that have food that is safe toeat but not sellable because there is toomuch supply, labeling errors

or new items that aren’t testingwell on themarket, Hooper said. Thatfood goes to Roadrunner Food Bank in Albuquerque, which thendistributes the food to the other four food banks inNewMexico.

“We hope that the sharedmaintenance fee encourages agencies tofundraise to support their programs,” Hooper said. “Plus it creates aresponsibility— you don’t takemore than you need.”

In addition to donations, The FoodDepot buys 8 percent of its foodfromwholesalers that give significant discounts to the nonprofit. TheFoodDepot passes the cost of these purchases on to the nonprofits itserves to continue to support the program—but doesn’tmakemoneyon any of the fees it charges, according toHooper.

Mission: ending hunger

natalie guillÉnThe Food Depot delivers food to the Villa Alegre complex every week.

Building hope 13

Food Depot facts• The most important staples the food bank always needs arepeanut butter, beans, canned meat and produce.• The food bank needs the most donations during summermonths, when donations typically decrease.• The Food Depot does not provide food directly toindividuals. It distributes food to 135 agencies in nine NorthernNewMexico counties. Those agencies — including foodpantries, shelters, children’s programs, schools and churches— give the food to people in need.

“We recognized that weweren’t always getting enough cannedgoods and dry goods tomeet the needs of the agencieswe serve, sowe foundwholesalers whoworkwith a lot of food banks across thecountry,” she said.Another 11 percent of the food comes through theU.S. Department

of Agriculture’s Emergency FoodAssistance Program. TheNewMexicoHuman Services Departmentmanages the program anddistributes the food from the federal government toNewMexico’sfood banks.The vast majority of donations come from communitymembers

and grocery stores. Every day The Food Depot’s trucks collectthousands of pounds of extra food that grocery stores can’t sellanymore.“Food banks like The Food Depot are highly collaborative,”

Hooper said. “To acquire such large amounts of food, it takesthousands of local, state and national food and financial donors.At the same time, The Food Depot works with partner agencieslike food pantries and hot meal programs to reach hungry NewMexicans. All of these relationships are critical to meet the growingneed in Northern NewMexico.We are extremely grateful for theircommitment to ending hunger.”

14 building hope

By DeBorah Busemeyer

Most building tour guides aren’t this enthusiastic. SherryHooper, theexecutive director of The FoodDepot, demonstrates how pallets rollback to store additional cans of nonperishables like sweet potatoesand red beans in the spaciouswarehouse.Hooper pulls a yellow rope and the wall-size cooler doors open

with a “whoosh.” It’s designed that way so people can open the doorswhile they are driving their forklifts of produce into a refrigeratedspace that’s seven times bigger than that of the food bank’s previousbuilding.ButHooper’s enthusiasm isn’t about the technology— although

that helps the Santa Fe nonprofit operatemore efficiently. It’sabout the potential the new space creates for a food bank thathas been unable tomeet the growing demand of the poor, mostlyrural communities it serveswithin a 26,000 square-mile region ofNorthernNewMexico.The FoodDepot reached its storage capacity in its previous space

years ago. As fruit and vegetable donations increased, it was cleartherewas not enough refrigerator or freezer space. At times thenonprofit had to turn away food donations and postpone volunteerhelp because therewas nomore space for either, saidHooper.In 2008The FoodDepot’s board of directors voted to construct

a new building so it could expand its operations. Since then thenonprofit has focused on raising $3million—with $600,000

remaining— then building andmoving into the new 16,000-square-foot warehouse. It is located behind the facility it previously sharedwithKitchenAngels and Food for Santa Fe on Siler Road.

The city of Santa Fe donated the land in a long-term lease. Theconstruction project, “BuildingHope,” is designed tomeet currentand future needs.“Nowwe feel likewe have endless possibilities,” Hooper said.

Building hopeThe Food Depot is growing to meet the growing need

Courtesy photo

ClydemuellerThe Food Depot’s new building at 1222 Siler Road is located behind the old Food Depot building. The new building is 16,000 square feet.

Building hope 15

“We’re going to take a step back and see howwe can domore.”

Expanding servicesShe anticipates that The FoodDepotwill partnerwithmore small,rural communities withwhich it can arrange designated times todistribute food directly from its truck. Some of the tiny villages in thenine counties The FoodDepot serves have no resources for a foodpantry, somobile pantries are a necessary source of food.Now that storage is plentiful, The Food Depot also will consider

expanding its popular Food 4Kids program. Currently 15 elementaryschools receive food-filled backpacks that help nourish children overthe weekend.

In addition to expanding operations, The FoodDepot can servemore people faster with almost triple the amount of space it hadbefore. The food bank ships hundreds of thousands of poundsof food eachweek, and in the past, operationswere inefficientlyintermingled. One roomhoused volunteers, shipping, receiving, foodcollections and donations. Now each function is separated.

Volunteers havemore space to sort and repackage such staples asbeans and peanut butter. Another room is available as a cleaning areato wash fresh produce like apples and oranges before filling bags forthe 135 partner agencies that feedmore than 78,000 people every

threemonths.Past the cooler and freezer is a reception area for the Santa Fe

nonprofits that order and pick up food. Already The FoodDepot ismakingmore appointments and seeing food leave thewarehousefaster, which is always the goal.“Wewant this food out as quickly as we can process donations,”

said Hooper, who is in her 12th year of directing The Food Depot’soperations.An education center includes a commercial kitchenwhereHooper

envisions nutrition and cooking classes for the agencies the foodbank serves. In some instances, people don’t know how to cook someof the donated fresh produce, such as eggplant— and classes couldhelp people learn nutritiousways to cook the donations they receive,she said. Cameras positioned throughout the kitchenwill enableremote classes tomeet the needs of nonprofits that can’t afford totravel to Santa Fe.“We could even do job training here,” Hooper said. “Theworkwe

do to provide foodmeets an immediate need, but if we could givetraining so people could get good jobs and become self-sufficient,then they will no longer need our services. That’s our ultimate goal —to go out of business.”

clydemuellerFred Santistevan moves cases of donated food into The Food Depot’s new warehouse.

16 building hope

By DeBorah Busemeyer

Food 4 KidsRecognizing the need for children to have food supplies over theweekend, The Food Depot started providing backpacks filledwith nonperishable food to three schools in 2002. Today, 1,500elementary-school children receive backpacks each Friday at 15schools in Santa Fe and surrounding areas. Pecos and Angel Fireraisedmoney to support the backpack program in their schools —and The Food Depot is interested in expanding the popular programto other communities. At least half the students at participatingschools receive free or reduced-cost meals. The exception in SantaFe is theWoodGormley Elementary School program, which issupported by a donor. School nurses, counselors and teachers referstudents to the program.

Fresh produce/healthy choices initiativeIn the last few years, The FoodDepot has seen a shift in donationsfrom canned goods tomore fresh produce. Fresh fruits and vegetablesaccount for about 35 percent of the food The FoodDepot distributeseach year. “Wewant tomake surewe are providing themostnutritious food for people in need,” said executive director SherryHooper. “They are already battling somany things— heart disease,diabetes— andwhen they do havemoney to purchase produce,sometimes the produce can bemore expensive.” In addition todistributing fresh produce, The FoodDepot is looking into arranginghealthy cooking classes in its new commercial kitchen for its 135nonprofit clients that distribute food directly to people in need.

mobile Food PantryBecause there tends to be no place for formal food pantries in rural

‘Many helping hands’The Food Depot’s major programs

courtesyFood for Kids provides backpacks filled with nonpershisable food to 1,500 elementary-school children every week.

Building hope 17

NorthernNewMexico villages, The FoodDepot started amobilefood pantry program in 2009 so people in those communities couldget foodwhen they needed it. The FoodDepot arranges to distributefood directly from its truck in 15 communities that serve about 1,300people eachmonth, includingMosquero, Chacon, Tinaja, Springer,WagonMound, El Rito, Bernal, Abiquiú, Pecos, Clayton, DesMoines,Mora andRaton. Hooper said The FoodDepotwants to grow theprogram, whichwill requiremore financial support. The food bankalso is looking at how it could partnerwith other organizations sopeople could get additional services at themobile pantry, such ashealth screenings and registration for food stamps.

Infant Supply InitiativeThe FoodDepot started raising funds to buy infant supplies afterreceivingmany requests for infant formula, baby food— andespecially diapers. The items are in such demand that the food bankcan’t keep them in stock. Now that The FoodDepot has additionalspace in its warehouse, it is workingwith a local foundation to launcha diaper bank. People can collect and donate extra diapers from babyshowers or contributemoney so The FoodDepot can buy diapersat a discount. “We recognize that people in need have other needs,”

Canned fruits, vegetables,meat, juiceCanned and dried soups andbeansDried riceCerealOatmealPeanut butterStuffing mixesMilk (dried or evaporated)Infant formula and baby foodCanned pumpkin andcranberry sauce

White flour and cornmealMacaroni and cheese dinnersCanned pastaRaisins and other dried fruitsSpaghetti and tomato saucesBar soapToothpaste and toothbrushesDeodorantShampoo and conditionerToilet paperDish soapDisposable diapers

Suggested donations

Hooper said, “sowe are looking at trying to provide personal-careitems, paper goods and household products, in addition to food.”

Disaster ReliefThe FoodDepot collects donations in anticipation of fire season tohelp provide needed supplies to evacuees and first responders. Peoplecan donate at The FoodDepot, 1222A Siler Road, or talk to the foodbank about arranging special disaster relief drives through a businessor religious organization. Needed supplies include bottledwater;protein items such as peanut butter and beef jerky; handheld snacks,including granola, trail mix and dried fruit; cannedmeals such assoups and pasta; personal-care items such as deodorant, toothpaste/toothbrushes, soap, handwipes and shampoo; and paper productssuch as toilet paper, napkins, cups, plates and plastic utensils. TheFoodDepot distributes any donations not used for fire response to itsnonprofit partners that feed hungryNewMexicans.

Kitty leaKenRamirez Thomas Elementary School children from left, seated, Zitaly GutierrezGarcia, Ashley Perez Perez and Aileen Veleta Gomez; from left, standingAnnalise Leos, Lyle Dumas and Ervey Aguirre.

courtesy photo

18 building hope

By DeBorah Busemeyer

Early each year, people start calling The FoodDepot to find out thedate for the next Souper Bowl. Now in its 19th year, it is the foodbank’s biggest, most popular fundraiser, bringing together about 30restaurants, 1,300 participants and 120 volunteers.“People love it,” said The FoodDepot’s executive director Sherry

Hooper. “Theywant to sample soups, take their notes andmake theirvotes. And in the end it helps peoplewho are hungry inNorthernNewMexico.”Over the last 12 years, The FoodDepot has raisedmore than

$350,000 through the Souper Bowl held at the Santa FeCommunityConvention Center. Attendees sample different kinds of soups fromparticipating restaurants and vote on their favorites for each category— cream, savory, vegetarian and seafood.LaneWarner, executive chef at La Plazuela at La Fonda on the

Plaza, has been participating since the beginning. Hooperworks hard

at a tough job, he said. “I think all of us on this end thank her for whatshe does.”Warner said La Fonda enjoys the camaraderie and competition,

but one of themain reasons he participates is because people benefitfrom it. “I think themajor goal of this whole deal is to feed people thatneed food and need to be helped, and that’s something that always sitsin the back of yourmind as a chef.”

Many Santa Fe restaurants have participated and collected awardsover the years, including La Plazuela, Café Pasqual, Fuego at LaPosada de Santa FeResort and Spa, Santa Fe Bar andGrill, the PantryRestaurant andRío Chama. JamboCafé set a record bywinning thebest soup award for the fourth year in a row in 2013.

how sweet it isInNovember 2012, The FoodDepot participated in the first PieMania event at Builder’s Source ApplianceGallery in Santa Fe.Michele Ostrove and Lucien Bonnafoux ofWingsMediaNetwork

Givingmade deliciousRaising funds with soup, pie

ClydeMuellerChef Anthony Damiano’s roasted butternut squash bisque with lobster and chipotle.

Building hope 19

Jane phillipsAhmed Obo, the owner and executive chef of Jambo Café serves his award-winning soup during The Food Depot’s Souper Bowl XIX at the Santa Fe CommunityConvention Center.

Jambo Café set a record by winning the best soup award for the fourth year in a row in 2013

WingsMedianetWorkKeegan Crumpacker at Pie Mania 2012— The Food Depot’s newest community fundraiser.

organized the event and invited The FoodDepot to join in to raisemoney for its new building.

Ostrove said they asked chefs they hadworkedwith before toprepare a holiday pie that people could bid on in an auction andpick up at their restaurants before the Thanksgiving holiday. Santa

Fe chefs from 15 restaurants showed how tomake their signatureholiday pies and gave the recipes to the several hundred peoplewhocame out for the event— raising $4,500.

“Everybodywhowas involved [in PieMania] was excited about it,”Ostrove said. “I thinkwe can take it to new levels in coming years.”

20 building hope

VOLUNTEERThe FoodDepot relies on volunteers. There are several ways you canhelp, depending on your interests and schedule.

Sorting/packing• You can help sort, inspect and package foods and householdproducts to be distributed to partner agencies. This includes sortingandwrapping bread from bulk bread donations and repackaging driedbeans, pasta or rice into family-size bags for distribution.• You can do this work from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.Monday through Friday.

Special events:• You can help deliver posters, set up and decorate venues, sell ticketsand send invitations to fun events that raisemoney to support TheFoodDepot’s work. This is occasional work. Visit www.thefooddepot.org to find out about upcoming events.

Professional services• If you need flexible volunteer times, you could provide pro-bonoprofessional services at your convenience.• Needed services include printing, newsletter writing and design,legal consulting, video production, photography, graphic arts,computer tech support, automaintenance and repair, plumbing andstaff training.

Administrative support• You can assist with administrative duties, including filing,

answering phones, stuffing envelopes and data entry.• You can do this work from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.Monday through Friday.You can volunteer by yourself or with a group. If you are under 16 yearsof age, you need to be accompanied by an adult. To learnmore, contactViola Lujan at vlujan@thefooddepot.org or call 505-471-1633, ext. 11.You can also download The FoodDepot’s brief volunteer applicationand volunteer handbook at www.thefooddepot.org.

OTHERWAYS TO SUPPORT THE FOODDEPOT• If you have a personal garden, plant an extra row and donate theproduce to The FoodDepot between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.Mondaythrough Friday, at 1222A Siler Road. If you need help picking yourproduce, call The FoodDepot to see if a volunteer can assist you.• Support or organize a food drive at your business, school,community organization or place of worship.• Schedule an ambassador fromThe FoodDepot to speak to yourgroup about hunger and the food bank’smission to end hunger. Take atour of The FoodDepot’s new building on Siler Road.• You can donatemoney to The FoodDepot online at www.thefooddepot.org or plan donations throughwills, real estate, lifeinsurance,mutual funds, retirement plans or donor-advised funds.• The FoodDepot helps the food industry preventwaste by salvagingextra or damaged goods. If you know of a company thatmight want todonate food or household products, suggest it contact the food bank.• Attend community fundraisers, such as the annual Souper Bowl orPieMania.

—deborah busemeyer

HelpwantedThere are many ways to support The Food Depot

Jane phillips

Building hope 21

Jane phillipsThe Food Depot relies on volunteers to sort and pack food for distribution.

22 building hope

By DeBorah Busemeyer

Information can change, so please call before visiting these agencies.If no phone number is listed, there isn’t one available.

state of Newmexico• To apply for food stamps, call 505-827-1932 or look upwww.hsd.state.nm.us/isd• TheWomen, Infants andChildren program serves low-incomepregnantwomen and their children up to age 5.WIC recipients canget food and formula for babies, nutrition education and $28worthof Santa Fe FarmersMarket coupons. Call 505-476-2602 tomake anappointment. Formore information, visit nmwic.org/.

santa Fe County• Bienvenidos gives out sack lunches from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.Monday and 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday throughThursday; groceryboxes are available 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.Monday and 11:30 a.m. to2:30 p.m. Tuesday throughThursday. People can receive either thegrocery box or the sack lunch at 1511 Fifth St. Call 505-986-0583 formore information. Bring photo identification and proof of residencefor grocery boxes.

• Christ LutheranChurch provides a bag of food once permonth perfamily from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Thursdays at 1701 Arroyo Chamiso(by St.Michael’s Drive andOld Pecos Trail). Call 505-983-9461 formore information.• People age 60 and older, pregnant and post-partummoms andchildren younger than 6who aren’t receivingWIC are eligible for $50worth of food commodities from 9 a.m. to noon on the third Tuesdayof everymonth at the Santa FeCounty Extension Building, 3229RodeoRoad. For your first food pick-up, bring a picture ID, currentproof of household income, a utility bill in your name and birthcertificates for children. Call 505-242-6777 formore information.• Food for Santa Fe gives out one bag of perishable groceries for eachadult in the car and extra items if there are children present. Bags areavailable from 6 to 9 a.m.— or until they run out— every Thursday atthe left rear of The FoodDepot building at 1222 Siler Road.• KitchenAngels will deliver hotmeals to your home if you areyounger than 60, homebound and inmedical crisis. Call 505-471-7780 formore information.• The Salvation Army provides breakfast from 8 to 8:30 a.m. anddinner from 5 to 5:30 p.m.Monday through Friday at 525WestAlameda St. Call 505-988-5715 formore information.

Filling the cupboardWhere to find food when you need it

clydemueller

Building hope 23

• Santa FeCommunity Services provides lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1p.m. Saturdays at the Resource Opportunities Center, 2801 CerrillosRoad. Another group provides lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at thesame location on Sundays. Formore information, call 505-310-3624.• The Santa Fe FarmersMarket Institutewill offer its double valueprogram in the summer of 2013. If you spend $20 in food stampsit will bematched for a total of $40 during one visit at themarket.Bring your EBT card to themarket’s information booth, have yourEBT card scanned forwhatever amount you choose, and you’ll get $1tokens you can use to purchase groceries from the vendors. Formorespecific information about the program, call 505-983-7726 or visitfarmersmarketinstitute.org.• St. John’s UnitedMethodist Church Bag ’nHand programprovidesa bag of food to families from 10 a.m. to noon onTuesdays andThursdays at 1200Old Pecos Road. Familiesmay participate once aweek. Call 505-982-5397 formore information.• St. John the Baptist Catholic Church serves free lunch 11:15 a.m.to 12:15 p.m. everyMonday, Tuesday andThursday, and providesfood bags the third Friday of eachmonth from 3 to 4 p.m. at 1301Osage Ave. (Bring your own bag or box.) Call 505-983-5034 formoreinformation.

• You can pick up bags of food between 10 a.m. and noon onWednesdays at St. Vincent De Paul, 1088 Early St. Call 505-988-4308formore information.• Zona del Sol provides a bag of food to each family on the fourthMonday of themonth between 4 and 6:15 p.m. at 6600 Jaguar Drive.Call 505-474-6859 formore information.• The Youth Shelters Street Outreach Program serves anyone 21 andyounger. You can eat ameal there and take a food bagwith you onceaweek. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.Monday through Friday, and noon to4 p.m. on Saturdays, at 402 St. Francis Drive. Call 505-988-2652 formore information.

For Santa Fe Seniors• City of Santa Fe’s Senior Citizens Programprovides breakfast for $1from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m.Monday through Friday at Pasatiempo SeniorCenter (664Alta Vista St.), Luisa Senior Center (1522 Luisa St.) andMary Ester Gonzales Senior Center (1121 Alto St.). Lunch is servedfrom 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at all city senior centers and costs $1.50.• TheMeals onWheels program is available for people age 60 andolderwho are homebound. Call 505-955-4721 for information.

natalie guillÉnDirector of kitchen services and head chef Teresa Norton prepares and packages meals at Kitchen Angels in 2011.

24 building hope

Foodpantries inNorthernNewMexicoColfax County• Always LovingMankind Food Pantrymakes home deliveries onMondays to Angel Fire, EagleNest andCimarron. For Cimarron, call575-377-3769 or 575-377-6354. For Angel Fire and EagleNest, call575-377-3219.• People can receive food from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the thirdWednesdayof themonth at Raton Senior Center, 440 South First St. Call 575-445-3278.• Food is distributed from 9 to 10:30 a.m. the thirdWednesday of themonth inMaxwell at theMaxwell Senior Center, 316Maxwell Ave.Call 575-375-2752 for information.• People can receive food from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. the thirdWednesdayof themonth at the Springer Senior Center, 504Maxwell Ave.,Springer. Formore information, call 575-483-5900.

Harding County• People can receive food at 10:30 a.m. the fourth Tuesday of eachmonth at theHarding County Community Center, 557WagonMoundHighway. Call 575-485-9693 formore information.• Food is distributed at 11 a.m. the fourth Tuesday of themonth at thefire station onMain Street in the Village ofMosquero.

Los Alamos County• LACares gives out food the second Friday of themonth at 2390North Road. Emergency food boxes are also available. Call 505-661-8015 to get signed up for the program.

Mora County• El Rito Presbyterian Church provides food at 9 a.m. the secondWednesday of themonth atHighway 121 in Chacon. Formoreinformation, call 575-387-5708.• Saint Gertrude’s Parish Food Pantry provides food bags starting at 9a.m. the secondWednesday of themonth at 1 Church Plaza inMora.To register for food, come by between 10 a.m. and noon the secondTuesday of themonth. Call 575-387-2336 formore information.•WagonMoundMobile Food Pantry provides food at 11 a.m. thefourth Tuesday of themonth at Santa Clara ParishHall. Call 575-666-2314 formore information.

Rio Arriba County• Interfaith LEAP provides food from 12:30 to 2 p.m. the thirdThursday of themonth at the JohnHysonCenter, near theintersection ofHighways 76 and 520. Formore information, call 505-351-2163.• Knights of Columbus, onHighway 286 in Arroyo Seco, provides foodwhen available. Call 505-753-4544 tomake an appointment.• Saint Vincent de Paul provides food at 11 a.m. the third Saturday ofthemonth at 908Calle Rosario in Española. Call 505-753-4225 foremergency boxes.• SanMartin de Porres SoupKitchen provides a free lunch from11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.Monday through Friday at 171 Jonathan inEspañola. Call 505-753-4956 formore information.• Victory Faith Church of the Foursquare Gospel, 328 AngelDuranDrive in Española, provides foodwhen available. Formoreinformation, call 505-747-0039.• People can receive food at about 10 a.m. the third Thursday of the

month in the Joe FerranGym across fromBode’s General Store inAbiquiú.• Bernal Community Center provides food assistance from4 to 6 p.m.the first Tuesday of themonth at County Road B28-A. Call 575-421-2818 formore information.• People can receive food starting at 11 a.m. the third Thursday of themonth at the El Rito Catholic ParishHall. Formore information, call575-581-9115.• Food is distributed fromnoon to 3 p.m. the third Thursday ofthemonth at the Volunteer Fire Station on State Road 414 inOjoCaliente. Call 575-581-9115 formore information.• People can receive food from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. the third Thursdayof themonth at the Volunteer Fire Station on Forest Road 106 inVallecitos. Formore information, call 575-582-0052.

SanMiguel County• Las Vegas Community SoupKitchen providesmeals from 1 to1:30 p.m.Wednesday and 12 to 12:30 p.m. Thursday at First UnitedMethodist Church, 715National St. Emergency food boxes areavailable to the neediest at 12:15 p.m. on the first Thursday of themonth. Call 505-425-7283 formore information.• SamaritanHouse provides food assistance from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. thesecond and fifthWednesdays of themonth at 220 Bernalillo St. Call505-454-1390 formore information.• The Salvation Army in Las Vegas provides assistance from 9 a.m. tonoon the first and fourthWednesday of themonth at 717Douglas Ave.Formore information, call 505-425-8083.• People can receive food at 10 a.m. the secondTuesday of themonthat Griego’sMarket onHighway 50 in Pecos. Call 505-757-6555 formore information.• Food is distributed at 8 a.m. every third Saturday of themonthat El Valle de Cristo Church onCaruco Road in Ribera. Formoreinformation, call Joseph at 505-470-2053.

Union County• People can receive food from2 to 5 p.m. the fourth Tuesday of themonth and from 9 to noon— or until the food is gone— the fourthWednesday of themonth at the ClaytonHousing Authority, 200Aspen St. Call Elsie at 575-207-5033 formore information.• Food is distributed fromnoon to 3 p.m. the third Thursday of themonth atM&MInn, 734 Broadway inDesMoines. Call Sheron at 575-447-3851 for information before going, or for emergency assistance.

Building hope 25

NewMexico Children Youth and Families Department reimbursesorganizations for providing nutritious food to childrenwhosehousehold incomes are low. Visit www.cyfd.org formore information.

The Summer Food Service ProgramThis is a federally funded program that helps address the gap inchildren’s summertime nutritional needs. The program reimbursesstatewide organizations that provide nutritiousmeals toNewMexico’s childrenwhen school is not in session. Themeals, whichmust followU.S. Department of Agriculture’s nutritional standards,are free for the children.More than 600 statewidemeal sites includesuch agencies as Boys andGirls clubs andHead Start programs.The program runs from June 3, 2013 to July 26, 2013. Formoreinformation, call 1-800-EAT-COOL (328-2665).

Child and Adult Care Food ProgramThrough this federally funded program, the state reimbursesprograms for providing nutritiousmeals and snacks to childrenwholive in low-income families. This includes after-school programs,emergency shelters, child-care centers and adult day-care centers.

Nutrition Education TrainingCYFD staff provides nutrition education and training to help child-care providersmeetminimum standards for participating in foodprograms and to improve the quality ofmeals served to children.This nutrition education is unique toNewMexico, according tostate officials. It helps teach skills and healthy habits. Formoreinformation onCYFD’s FamilyNutrition program, please call (505)841-4856 or 505-827-7893.

Women, Infant and Children (WIC) ProgramManaged by theNewMexico Department of Health,WIC providesnutrition education and supplemental food and formula to pregnantand post-partumwomen and their children up to age 5. The federallyfunded program is for low-income families. Formore information,visit www.nmwic.org or call 505-476-2202 in Santa Fe.TheNewMexicoHuman Services Department alsomanages

state and federally funded programs that help hungry people getfood inNewMexico. Visit http://www.hsd.state.nm.us/ formoreinformation.

Emergency Food AssistanceThis programdistributes food from theU.S.Department ofAgricultureto help feed peoplewho earn 185 percent or less of the federal povertylevel—$21,256 for a single person and$43,567 for a family of four. Thestate gave almost $2.8million in federal funds to five regional foodbanks that serve all ofNewMexico’s 33 counties in 2012. Themoneyis distributed according to the poverty andunemployment data inthe counties the food banks serve. Those food banks,which includeTheFoodDepot in SantaFe, provided about 45,600peoplewith foodeachmonth last fiscal year. Formore information, call theFood andNutritionServicesBureau at 505-841-2693.

Homeless MealsThis programprovides nutritiousmeals for homeless people atshelters and soup kitchens. In 2013, theHuman Services Departmentwill provide about $193,500 in state funding to six agencies inNewMexico that feed peoplewho are homeless. Santa Fe agencies thatreceive the state funding are Esperanza Shelter for Battered Familiesand St. Elizabeth’s Shelter.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance ProgramAlso known as food stamps or SNAP, this programhelps families andsingle peoplewith low or no income buy nutritious food at grocerystores and farmersmarkets through a debit-card system. One outof fiveNewMexicans received these benefits in 2012. Additionalfunds through SNAP are available for peoplewho are elderly or havedisabilities. Call 1-800-432-6217, and press 4when you hear therecording.

USDA Foods DistributionPreviously known as Commodities, this program is providingNewMexicowith about $9.2million in 2013 to distribute among 89 schooldistricts, 34 Bureau of Indian Education schools and 32 residentialcenters and private and charter schools. Thismoney allows schools toprovide free or reduced-cost breakfast and lunch to studentswhosefamilies earn low incomes. The programprovides about 138,100breakfasts and 211,350 lunches every day inNewMexico. Familiesthat earn up to 130 percent of federal poverty level ($30,615 for familyof four) are eligible for a free lunch. A reduced-cost lunch is availablefor families who earn up to 185 percent of the federal poverty level($43,567 for family of four). Formore information, call 505-841-2625or your local school district.

—deBorah Busemeyer

State and federal programs to feed the hungry

26 building hope

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