The Food Depot operates a range of programs designed to meet critical demographic, geographic and nutritional needs in our nine county service area. Our goal is not just to feed people, but to help them change their lives.
Research tells us, for example, that hungry kids have a tough time learning. So our Food 4 Kids program does more than alleviate suffering -- it improves school performance, decreases truancy, enhances cognitive development and builds self-esteem.
And we know that diet and nutrition are important factors for good health. So we make a special effort to solicit and distribute fresh fruits and vegetables, now about 35 percent of all food we distribute. And we’re also working with our agencies and their clients to encourage healthier food choices and food preparation.
Your generous contributions of food, financial support and volunteer time make our programs possible. When you support The Food Depot, what you’re really doing is improving a child’s ability to learn, increasing a worker’s productive energy and strengthening an elderly person’s resistance to disease.
You have the power to make a difference.
Food rescue and distribution The Food Depot’s core program has two principal elements -- the rescue of surplus food that would otherwise go to waste and the distribution of that food to 120 partner agencies that feed people in need.
The Food Depot acquires donations of food, personal care products and other household items from up to 100 local product donors, including grocery stores, bakeries, restaurants and small manufacturers and distributors. We also work with the New Mexico Association of Food Banks to gather a large volume of fresh, nutritious produce. And we receive significant product donations from large national donors through our affiliation with Feeding America, the national network of food banks.
In turn, The Food Depot supplies the food it gathers to emergency food pantries, adult and child day cay programs, group homes, multi-service programs, rehabilitation programs, senior programs, domestic violence and homeless shelters, soup kitchens and youth programs across nine counties in Northern New Mexico.
The geographic area we serve covers over 26,000 square miles, larger than many East Coast states. Serving an area so large is a major challenge. Most of our partner agencies in rural areas are extremely small and do not have the resources to travel to our warehouse in Santa Fe to pick up their food orders. To ensure that these agencies receive adequate food, The Food Depot makes regular deliveries to distribution centers in the northern counties of Colfax, Harding, Los Alamos, Mora, Rio Arriba, San Miguel, Taos, and Union.
Fresh produce initiative One of the largest sources of food waste in our country is also one of the most nutritious -- fresh produce. Each year hundreds of millions of pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables are discarded or left in fields to rot. At the same time, most Americans, particularly low-income individuals, don’t consume nearly the amount of fruits and vegetables that health experts recommend.
For all these reasons, The Food Depot works closely with the New Mexico Association of Food Banks to gather and distribute as much fresh produce as possible. In total, the Association collected more than seven million pounds of produce, of which The Food Depot distributed about one million pounds to its partner agencies. Overall, produce now accounts for about 35 percent of all the food we distribute.
Healthy eating The Food Depot is developing new resources to encourage healthy food choices and preparation techniques among our partner agencies and clients. Through surveys, newsletters and support for on-site cooking demonstrations, we’re stepping up our efforts to build awareness and knowledge of good nutrition.
At the same time, we are working to improve the nutritional mix of the food we distribute. We have made significant progress through our fresh produce initiative. Our most critical need is for foods that are high in protein -- meat and dairy products, for example. These are often the most expensive foods and the least likely to be in surplus. That’s why our Virtual Food Drive is such an important help for us in securing greater supplies of the most urgently needed foods. To find out more, click here.
Food 4 Kids Studies confirm what every teacher already knows -- hungry kids are compromised in their ability to learn. That’s why we operate Food 4 Kids, a program that distributes much-needed food to students in Santa Fe elementary schools who might otherwise go hungry.
Here’s how the program works. Eligible schools are selected according to their participation rate in the reduced-cost or free federal school lunch program. Students within these schools are selected with the help of the teachers who work with them every day, know their situation at home and observe the behavioral issues often associated with hunger -- lack of concentration, increased absenteeism and low levels of socialization and play.
Once selected, each child receives a backpack filled with healthy kid-friendly food, such as fruit juice, fruit cups, breakfast bars, granola bars and a protein item such as tuna or chicken. The food is replenished every other week.
We now reach more than 1,200 students in 11 elementary schools, with plans to continually grow the program as more funding is received.
Infant supply initiative To help the most vulnerable members of our community, The Food Depot provides critically needed food and hygiene products for infants with its infant supply initiative. The food bank utilizes its existing network of partner agencies to distribute the supplies. Participating agencies include emergency food pantries, domestic violence shelters and shelters for the homeless. In 2009, The Food Depot will strive to reach at least 150 infants, providing a two-week supply of products to each.
Since most of the items needed for the infant supply initiative are not donated through the food bank’s regular sources, The Food Depot must purchase the products. These products include infant formula, baby food, disposable diapers, baby wash and lotion, and baby wipes. Results of a recent survey of agency participants indicate the need for additional items such as diaper cream, bottles and larger size diapers. The survey also revealed the need to provide items in bulk to agencies for distribution rather than offering prepared boxes of supplies. This system allows agencies to specialize the boxes according to a client’s needs.
The Food Depot will utilize the help of volunteers to prepare uniform boxes of supplies for those agencies who prefer this method of distribution. The Food Depot will continue to offer information on helpful government programs such as WIC (Women’s, Infants and Children Program) and food stamps so clients can obtain additional support.
Disaster relief The Food Depot is an active member of Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster - Northern New Mexico (VOAD-NNM) and is committed to providing food, beverages and other products to disaster victims and relief workers. In 2000, for example, The Food Depot provided more than 1.3 million pounds of food to victims of the Cerro Grande fire.
VOAD-NNM is a collaborative effort of organizations and agencies in several Northern New Mexico counties working together to meet the needs of people, their animals and communities in the wake of natural or man-made disasters. VOAD-NNM works closely with the Emergency Management Offices in participating jurisdictions to ensure an effective and coordinated member response to disaster situations.
Mission: The Food Depot strives to end hunger in Northern New Mexico
