Helping Out Those Less Fortunate This Holiday Season

The poverty and homelessness problem in Albuquerque has made great strides in recent years, but there’s still work to be done. There are still lots of families who aren’t getting the nutrition that they need—fortunately, there are programs set up through the school system and local government to help.

The RoadRunner Food Bank of New Mexico penned an excellent blog post over at ABQ Newscastic listing some surprising facts you might not know about hunger in New Mexico. Among them:

• According to Feeding America's "Map the Meal Gap 2013," some 20.1% of our state population in 2011 experienced uncertainty of when or where they'd score their next food fix.
•  Data compiled by the Food Research and Action Organization (FRAC) found that New Mexican's rank first in the nation for student participation in free and reduced cost school food programs with 70.2% of our students enrolled. 
• In a landmark study on hunger in New Mexico, the 2010 Missing Meals report shows a lack of access to 13% of meals for our states poor. As SNAP benefits decrease and food needs increase, this number is likely to rise. 
• AARP.org ranks us 2nd for Senior hunger risk in the country. Older adults with health issues as well as seniors living on a fixed income are at greater risk for hunger according to Meals on Wheels. 

If you’d like to help solve the hunger problem in Albuquerque, you can host or participate in a food drive—Roadrunner Food Bank’s options for Holiday Food Drives include:

Businesses, faith communities, schools, service organizations and individuals are encouraged to host food and fund drives. Your support is critical in ensuring we have the necessary food during the cold winter months.

You can use your own boxes or borrow Roadrunner Food Bank collection barrels. If you plan to collect 250 pounds or more of food than we can drop barrels at your location before the start of your food drive and pick them up once the barrels are full. However, if you think you’ll collect fewer than 250 pounds we ask that you use your own boxes and bring your donations directly to the Food Bank (M-F 8am to 4pm).