ALBUQUERQUE, NM (KRQE) – As New Mexicans get ready to sit around the dining table this Christmas, local chalkboards say many are food insecure due to the pandemic. As the holiday season started, thousands came forward to ask for help just to bring food to the table.
For the past two years, people have lost their jobs and even their homes during the pandemic. As a result, food banks across New Mexico, like the Storehouse, are saying more people are in need, including families.
“A lot of families are starving and before the pandemic 1 in 4 children went hungry and now it’s 1 in 3 children so the demand has definitely increased,” said Jill Beets of Storehouse New Mexico. “New Mexico is also among the worst for food insecurity among adults.”
The Storehouse says they provide meals to more than 50,000 new Mexicans on average. This week the Storehouse distributed around 150 hams to needy families donated by Albertson’s Market, along with carts full of groceries.
“We distributed ham because the vacation here in our country is often built around a meal and families,” said Beets. “Even low-income working-class families really want to build their vacation around a special meal.”
The Roadrunner Food Bank also sees a high demand for meals in the community this Christmas season. Earlier this week, they supplied more than 900 households at their pre-Christmas event.
Roadrunner’s next food serving is scheduled for Tuesday, January 4th at 9:00 am at EXPO New Mexico. The Tafel will also resume donations on Monday morning during business hours.
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