The Problem

The Food Depot recognized a critical need during the summer for a particularly vulnerable population in our community — children. School lunch may be the only meal a child has access to on a regular basis. When school is dismissed for the summer, some children go hungry.

The Solution

The Lunch Box Express addresses child hunger directly by offering meals to children during the summer months. The program targets neighborhoods in which schools have high rates of free or reduced school lunches and focuses on areas that do not have easy access to other sites serving summer meals.

The meals include whole grains, protein, milk, fruits and vegetables. Each weekday, two to four volunteers and/or staff ride the bus to each site to set up and serve the children.

In addition to lunch, nutritional coloring books, children’s books, and cookbooks titled “Good and Cheap—Eat Well on $4 a Day” are distributed to each participating family to help them provide healthy, nutritious meals on a small budget.

Our partners in this program include Santa Fe County, Beneficial Farms CSA, Sam’s Club, Christ Church Santa Fe, Santa Fe Public Schools, JA Food Service, Creamland, Santa Fe Public Library and the USDA.

Our Impact

During last summer, the four Lunch Box Express distribution sites served an average of 73 children a day, distributing a total of 3,821 meals to children from ages 1-18.

Making a difference . . . Diego.

Communities Served

Cottonwood Village Mobile Home Park, Country Club Gardens Mobile Home Park, Jemez Road Mobile Home Park, Riverside de Santa Fe Mobile Home Park.