Latest IHC Newsletter: Staying Engaged

 Check Out Farm to Table's New Agri-Policy Brief

Farm to Table New Mexico has launched a very attractive and useful newsletter on agricultural policy, examining how federal and state decisions affect us and our neighbors. 

The first issue of the newsletter starts by asking the question of What's at Stake in New Mexico? This is in light of recent and coming federal budget cuts to important agricultural, environmental and nutrition programs. "Despite court rulings ordering the release of obligated federal funds, critical projects remain stalled, leading to layoffs, mounting debt, and halted conservation work ahead of an expected hot and dry season," the newsletter points out. 

The newsletter also highlights an effort in the State Legislature to address the concerns related to the cuts in federal funding via the New Mexico Federal Funding Stabilization Subcommittee.The panel, co-chaired by Rep. Patricia A. Lundstrom and Sen. William P. Soules, is "dedicated to understanding federal delays and cancellations of federal funding and determining a plan of action to ensure that New Mexico gets the government services it needs."

There is a lot more useful information in the newsletter, which you can access in PDF format via this link.

You can also sign up to receive future issues of the newsletter.  

---

Hunger Initiative Coalition Shifts Focus 

Back in the summer of 2019, then State Rep. Melanie Stansbury brought together representatives from anti-hunger organizations, non-profit agencies, foundations, state agencies and other entities to begin discussions on a taking a more comprenhensive and long-term approach to addressing hunger in New Mexico. The coalition--working with Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's administration, Reps. Stansbury and Joanne Ferrary and other key state legislators--indentified and promoted initiatives in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 (as reflected Food Depot agenda), 2024, and 2025 that would fund key agriculture, nutrition, sustainability and food programs. 

"Over the past several years, this group has advocated together to lay the foundation and see many laws passed to improve hunger, food systems, agriculture, and to address the root causes of hunger,' said Emily Widau (New Mexico Voices for Children), on behalf of the steering committee for the Food/Hunger/Water/Ag Policy Workgroup   

Connecting during the legislative session
The coalition has sought to keep members connected by holding monthly networking meetings on Zoom. But we have decided to go a different direction, partly because there are now many options to remain connnected on food and hunger issues. We will now focus on connecting just ahead and during the Legislative Session. Our 30-day session in 2026 is scheduled for Jan. 20-Feb. 19.

"We’ve seen one strength of this group being to educate each other on legislative processes, align policy priorities, and move legislation together each legislative session," said the e-mail. "So we are proposing that this group check in once in the fall to strategize on budget advocacy for food and hunger issues, and establish regular meetings during each session to assess coalition needs," said the note signed by Wildau, Katy Anderson (Roadrunner Food Bank), Jane Braithwaite (Interfaith Hunger Coalition), Kurt Rager(Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-New Mexico), Pam Roy (Farm to Table & NM Food and Agriculture Policy Council), Carlos Navarro (Interfaith Hunger Coalition), Chili Yazzie (grandpa, farmer and Earth Defender, Shiprock, Navajo Nation)

Here is the Zoom link for the Fall meeting on Sept. 11, 2025, Noon to 1:00 p.m.

---

Join the Kids Cook! Mailing List

Why Kids Cook! Matters — And Why We Need Your Support

As a mom and a Registered Dietitian, one of the questions I hear all the time is: "What do you feed your kids? How do you get them to eat healthy food?" It’s a question that touches every family, because feeding our kids is about more than just food, it’s an act of love.

Every parent wants to raise healthy, happy kids, but it doesn’t come with a manual. That’s where Kids Cook! comes in. We provide hands-on, empowering cooking and nutrition education that helps kids learn to make and enjoy healthy meals they actually eat. Parents often tell us, “If it’s a Kids Cook! recipe, I know my child will eat it.” That’s the real impact of nutrition education.

Nutrition education isn’t a luxury, it’s a lifeline. Kids need to come to school ready to learn and that starts with nutritious meals and a full belly. When families understand nutrition, they make healthier choices that can change their lives. But none of this happens without support.

Right now, Kids Cook! is at risk. The new federal budget’s elimination of SNAP-Ed funding has deeply hurt organizations like Kids Cook!, which has spent years working in Albuquerque schools and communities to fight chronic disease and close the health gap. We are a vital part of the public health solution.

Kitchens are more than places to cook, they’re learning laboratories. At Kids Cook!, kids learn science, math, reading, and real-life skills alongside healthy habits. We partner with schools to help grow the whole child and support coordinated school health efforts.

If you believe every child deserves the chance to grow up healthy, confident, and ready to learn, then we invite you to stand with us. Help us keep this critical work going. The future of our kids depends on it.

You can help save this program today by calling your New Mexico legislators and becoming a recurring monthly Kids Cook! donor.

Also, if your life was impacted by Kids Cook! when you were young, consider sharing your story with us.

Finally, make sure you join our mailing list so you can stay up-to-date as things change and progress. Every new connection helps. It strengthens our voice, spreads the word, and builds momentum for everything we’re working to protect.

Sincerely,

Kids Cook! Executive Director
Sara Robbins

---

Major Conference Coming to ABQ
The National Farm to Cafeteria Conference will be held at the Albuquerque Convention Center on Dec. 1-4, 2025.

Hosted by the National Farm to School Network, with support from New Mexico partners, including Farm to Table, this conference is the premier event for anyone passionate about bringing local food to institutional settings and driving positive change in the food system. Whether you’re a food service professional, farmer, educator, policymaker, entrepreneur, or student, this conference offers invaluable opportunities to network, learn, and share knowledge with others who are shaping the future of food access and sustainability.

See program highlights and overview

Early Bird Registration is now open through Aug 23.

If you are in need of support to attend the conference there are scholarships available through an application process.(Limited scholarships available) Go to the application. The scholarship application deadline is Sept. 1.

Bread for the World's Advocacy Summit/Lobby Day

Six anti-hunger advocates from New Mexico traveled to Washington to participate in Bread for the World's Advocacy Summit and Lobby Day on June 9-11. Our delegation included Kamatara Johnson (Circles USA-Albuqueque-Las Cruces), Sergio Mata-Cisneros (The Food Depot, Santa Fe), Carlos Navarro (St. John XXIII Catholic Community-Albquerque)m Kendra Poole (La Mesa Presbyterian Church, Albuquerque & Maryland), Lynette Schurdevin (Peace Lutheran Church Las Cruces) and Rev. Andy Stoker, Central United Methodist Church-Albuquerque) 

Carlos Navarro, Lynette Schurdevin, Kamatara Johnson, Kendra Poole, Andy Stoker, Sergio Mata-Cisneros

Between the six of us, we visited our the offices of our three members in the House of Representatives and our two Senators. We lobbied for funding for the Supplemental Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), global nutrition assistance and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Kendra, who recently lost her job at the US Agency for International Development to the administration's downsizing noves, provided great insights on the importance of global nutrition assistance. A delegation from Puerto Rico joined as at two of our visits to advocate for changing the island's SNAP benefits from a block grant to full participation in the SNAP program.. 

While all our visits were scheduled with congressional aides, we were fortunate enough to meet up with Rep. Melanie Stansbury (at Rep. Gabe Vasquez's office, of all places). Rep. Stansbury was accompanied by NM State Sen. Harold Pope. 

State Sen. Harold Pope, Kendra Poole, Carlos Navarro, Kamtara Johnson, Lynette Schrudevin, Rep. Melanie Stansbury

      Here are other photos from Lobby Day. 

Outside Rep. Gabe Vasquez's office  (We met with legislative aide Emily Hartshorn) 

Sen. Martin Heinrich's office.  We met with LA Aria Campos

Outside Sen Ben Ray Lujan's office. We met with LA Katie Mertens

                             Rev. Andy Stoker and Kendra Poole converse with Sen. Lujan's aide Katie Mertens

Another highlight of the gathering was a celebration of Bread for the World's 50th anniversary.  Here are a handful of photos

Bread member Bryan McFarland, North Carolina

                                                   Bread president Eugene Cho

Bread staffer Jamie Thomas with former Bread president David Beckmann 

Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli, ONE Campaign CEO, was one of the keynoters

Current and former board members Jeremy Everett, Kate Pringle, John Carr, David Miner, Sandra Joireman

                                      With Elaine VanCleave (Tennesee Bread member) 

 

Join a Discussion/Presentation

 Navigating Unprecedented Times

The Strength of New Mexico’s Food System

---

You are invited to join the New Mexico Food and Agriculture Policy Council at its upcoming virtual statewide meeting. The meeting will try to give participants a greater understanding of the implications of the federal reconciliation budget. 

Monday, July 28th, 9am - 12 noon on Zoom
 RSVP Here 

---

(The following is a note that Pam Roy, executive director of Farm to Table and the New Mexico Food and Agriculture Policy Council sent to members/supporters of the two organizations in relation to the upcoming program)

We are living in unprecedented times. States across the country are bracing for the impacts of the federal cuts—and New Mexico is no exception. The reconciliation bill passed the House of Representative in the wee hours of July 4th, 218-214 after the Senate had passed it by one vote days before. The implications for New Mexico affect everything from food access, agriculture markets, to wind and solar energy. The New York Times in Print for Friday, July 4, 2025 - The New York Times.

What are the implications for New Mexico's nutrition programs, food assistance, and programs that benefit farmers and ranchers growing and raising food that benefits New Mexico's food access and local economies.? In FY2024, our state received close to $430 million in federal funding to support food, agriculture, and conservation programs. The federal cuts may force New Mexico to absorb significant additional costs. 

Farm to Table and the New Mexico Food & Agriculture Policy Council (NMFAPC) have been closely tracking these developments and analyzing the potential effects on our farmers, ranchers, families, and food system as a whole. This infographic highlights the potential consequences of these funding reductions.



The New Mexico Legislature's Federal Funding Stabilization Subcommittee and the Legislative Finance Committee have developed several documents to help provide some understanding of the federal budget and how it affects New Mexico, Federal Funds Overviewby Co-Chairs Representative Lundstrum and Senator Soules, presented May 28th and the Federal Budget Reconciliations Overview presented by Legislative Finance Committee, Chaarles Sallee, Director, July 1st, 2025. 

New Mexico has a strong local food and agriculture sectors continue to provide a wide variety of agriculture products, of which close to 11 percent are produced and sold in New Mexico. The statewide "Food Initiative" has helped to build and expand efforts that focus on community food security, economic resilience for farmers and ranchers, value chain stabilization, and long-term financial benefits.  As stated in the recent 2025 Food Initiative Progress Report, "Feeding New Mexico's Future: A Transformative Investment in Health, Agriculture and Economic Well-Being,"he Food Initiative that was launched in 2021 by more than 230 participants.organizations and agencies across the state, has focused on an integrated legislative approach resulting in a $213 million, three-year, multi-agency effort led by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham that has invested in New Mexico's food and agriculture systems and local communities. 

We are deeply grateful to the many agencies, organizations, and the Office of the Governor for their continued support and for providing critical data to help us understand how state and federally funded programs serve New Mexicans. While our capacity to deliver timely updates is challenged, we remain committed to sharing accurate, consistent information so communities can make informed decisions. 

Together with our legislators and executive leaders, we aim to forge a strong, unified path forward—one that honors the interconnected roles of state, federal, local, and tribal partners in supporting a resilient food system for all.

The Santa Fe New Mexican had a front page article on New Mexico "Farming: The Next Generation", July 6th, 2025, eNewMexican, (click news, pages 1 and 4) a two part segment on the agriculture workforce and what agriculture is to New Mexico. There will be an additional article July 7th, 2025.

The NM Food & Agriculture Policy Council will host its next statewide meeting either July 28th or 29th (by zoom). We'll send out a notice in the coming days.

We hope for everyone's well-being in these changing times and will do our best to keep you posted on state and federal policy issues as they evolve over the coming weeks and months.

All the best,
Pam Roy
 

---

More Information from New Mexico Thrives 
(via Tsiporah Nephesh)

The President signed the tax reconciliation bill on July 4. The new law will hurt the people we serve. An estimated 88,530 New Mexicans will lose Medicaid coverage starting in December 2026. An estimated 58,180 will lose SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits and another 463,359 New Mexicans will see SNAP benefits reduced. The timeline for the SNAP changes is unclear.

These changes will go into effect starting December 2026.  The legislature has time to plan and prepare its response.

Other changes will have indirect results:

• 1% floor for charitable contributions by corporations
  limits the incentive to give
• Limits on itemized deductions
  reduces the incentive for charitable giving
• Tax on college and university endowments
  decreases the financial resources for nonprofit colleges and universities
• Permanently extends estate and lifetime gift taxes to $15 million for single filers/$30 million for married filing jointly in 2026
  eliminates the incentive to make charitable donations to reduce taxes

The combined effect of federal funding cuts, cuts to safety net programs, and changes to the tax structure which reduce the incentives for charitable donations will make serving our communities more difficult.

See the full report from New Mexico Thrives
 

---

Follow us on BlueSky

Interfaith Hunger Coalition (New Mexico)    @ihc-nm.bsky.social

Say it out Loud! Budget Cuts Would Hurt Most Vulnerable

 Faith Community in #ABQ Speaks Out Against Budget Cuts

---

Several members of the faith community in Albuquerque gathered in front of the federal courthouse on Thursday afternoon, June 26, to urge the Senate to pass a #MoralBudget. The event was organized by Franciscan (Joan Brown) and Mercy (Marlene Perrote) Catholic sisters and lay members/supporters of the Loretto community (Karen Navarro, Trish Herron).  Among the local leaders who joined us were  Archbishop John Wester, Samia Assad, Rev. Andy Stoker, Rev. Susan Allison-Hatch, Fr. Vincent Chavez and others. The event was held in conjunction with 20 other similar events around the country, including one on the steps of the Capitol on June 24.

---

Help Save SNAP-Ed and Kids Cook!

The budget reconciliation package  approved by the House of  Representatives earlier this year cuts almost $300 billion in funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) over 10 years. The reductions proposed by the Senate are similar to those in the House, according to the Center for Budget and Public Policy Priorities. 

The proposed cuts to SNAP include full or partial elimination of funding for the SNAP-Ed program. "The elimination of SNAP-Ed would have a devastating and disproportionate impact on thousands of communities and millions of Americans who look to these resources to keep them healthy at home, in the workplace and in schools," the Public Health Institute said in May when the cuts came up in the House Agriculture Committee budget. "This includes low wage working families, children, older adults, and people with disabilities. Organizations and groups such as food banks, farmer’s markets and local farmers also count on SNAP-Ed resources to help support and promote their resources and services throughout the country."

25 Years of Serving Kids in New Mexico



In New Mexico, Kids Cook! is one of the most succesful programs. This is a multicultural nutrition and food education program. Along with FUDRR, it supports healthy lifestyle choices and growing healthy communities. 

For nearly 25 years, Kids Cook! has provided hands-on experiential learning for elementary and middle school students and their families, and a reduction or elimination of funding would have a negative impact on the program, said Kids Cook! executive director Sara Robbins.

The organization strives to inspire families to bond over cooking and eating together, be more physically active, and to share their knowledge with their communities. (Watch a video of members of the Interfaith Hunger Coalition preparing black bean tostadas, May 2023)

Here is compelling testimony from a grateful parent



How can you help? Call  Sen. Martin Heinrich (202 224-5521) and Sen, Ben Ray Lujan (202 224-6621) and urge them to vote NO on a budget that does not include funding for SNAP-ED.

---

 

Fasting for Justice 
Join the #EmptyPlatesProtest

As the Senate deliberates on a budget reconciliation package, a broad coalition of health, faith-based, and anti-hunger organizations has launched the #EmptyPlatesProtest, a national relay fast designed to draw moral urgency and opposition to the devastating cuts to healthcare, food assistance, and other basic needs in the budget reconciliation bill. 

Here's how it works:

• Fast for 24 hours any day starting June 23rd, 2025.  The national relay fast will continue until Congress breaks for the July 4th recess.
• Tell your Senator to reject budget reconciliation bill cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, Child Tax Credit.

Pledge to Fast

Speaking with Our Faithful Voices

 

Advocating for a Moral Budget The budget reconciliation package  approved by the House of  Representatives earlier this year cuts almost $300 billion in funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) over 10 years. According to organizations like Bread for the World, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) and the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), this is the largest single reduction of domestic food assistance ever enacted. (See CBPP chart).   A subsequent Senate proposal seeks similar or even deeper cuts than the House has proposed. One Senate plan forces most states to pay a portion of food benefit costs for the first time. "If a state cannot fully pay its required share, it would have two main options: significantly reduce the number of people receiving food assistance to the point where the state can afford its required share of benefits for the remaining households, or terminate the state’s SNAP program entirely," the CBPP said in a briefing on June 13. "This bill would slash billions in food assistance for millions of Americans to help pay for a $3.8 trillion package that overwhelmingly benefits the wealthy, FRAC said in a similar analysis  on June 12. . Non-profit organizations, coalitions, faith groups and  many others in New Mexico have signed a letter to our congressional delegation urging them to oppose the cuts.  "We are living in a time of rising food costs, high inflation, and, for many working families, incomes that simply cannot keep pace. Across our country and across our state, exhausted parents are feeling the pain of putting their children to bed hungry. Seniors who worked their whole lives are having to make a choice between buying medicine and buying food. Veterans who served this great country with honor are scraping by to pay rent and afford groceries," said the letter coordinated by the New Mexico Association of Food Banks on June 20. On Bread for the World's Lobby Day on June 11, six of us from New Mexico (Lynette Schurdevin, Kendra Poole, Rev. Andy Stokes, Kamatara Johnson, Sergio Mata-Cisneros and Carlos Navarro)  met in Washington with aides to Sens. Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Lujan and Reps. Melanie Stansbury, Teresa Leger-Fernandez and Gabe Vasquez to urge our representatives to oppose the cuts.  Some friends from Puerto Rico joined us at Sen. Ben Ray Lujan's office. We also encountered Rep. Melanie Stansbury and NM State Sen. Harold Pope at Rep. Gabe Vasquez's office. Cuts 'Completely at Odds with the Gospel' Faith leaders are speaking out on the latest cuts.  "The massive cuts to Medicaid and SNAP– programs that support the most vulnerable- add up to a trillion dollars. That political calculus of this historic bill which will define the budget of our nation for years to come is completely at odds with the gospel calculus," Rev. Jim Wallis in God's Politics blog "Cuts to SNAP would result in job losses in the agriculture, food production, and grocery industries. Both would lead to worse health outcomes and add financial stress to millions of families and children in every community across the nation... It is morally indefensible to extract resources from food and healthcare assistance in order to advance tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans and businesses," said  a letter to congressional leaders from more than 150 Jewish organizations nationwide.  "The church and the bishops of the United States should lead the way in speaking against this bill and calling on Catholics to work for its defeat. Because of its overall effects on those who are most in need, passing this budget would be a moral failure for American society as a whole. Unless the church opposes it in the clearest possible terms, we will squander the credibility of our witness to the Gospel and Christ’s command to care for the "least of these," said a statement from Archbishop John Wester of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. Over the years, people of faith have spoken out against efforts to cut SNAP and other food programs. “The proposed budget cuts are of great concern to the humanitarian community. We stand united against any policy that leaves our poor and vulnerable in more perilous conditions," former Islamic Relief USA CEO Anwar Khan said in 2017 in response to proposals during the first Trump administration to cut funding for domestic food programs. "It’s the very safety net programs that the current budget fight is targeting, and to me this is wrong. It, quite frankly, is immoral" said  Sister Simone Campbell, founder of Nuns on the Bus and former director of the Catholic Social Justice lobby Network said in the  PBS Religion and Ethics Newsweekly. At the Urban Way of the Cross in Albuquerque in 2019, we spoke about a moral budget and urged protections for the most vulnerable.  Watch a Video And we carry on faithfully with our efforts to oppose cuts to programs that help the most vulnerable people in our society. We invite you to join us in the following event.  Catholic Sisters and Friends will gather in front of the Federal Court at 4th and Lomas in Albuquerque  Thursday, June 26   4:30-5:30 Faith leaders and friends will reflect, make statements, pray and hold signs reminding all that a Budget is a Moral Document. Jason Riggs, a member of our IHC steering committee, will offer a brief statement on the impact of SNAP cuts on families in New Mexico Other people of faith will reflect on areas that are threatened by budget cuts, including housing, veterans affairs, global nutrition assistance, medical research, environmental protection and much more.  The gathering is in conjunction with a similar event in Washington, D.C., on the steps of the Capitol on June 24, also led by Catholic Sisters and Friends. Local events are planned in about 20 locations around the United States. The public is encouraged to join the Albuquerque gathering of faithful demanding a moral budget.

Statewide Sign-On Letter to Protect SNAP and Medicaid in New Mexico

The New Mexico Association of Food Banks has asked non-profit organizations, coalitions, faith groups and others to sign a letter to our congressional delegation urging our representatives and senators to oppose cuts to SNAP and Medicaid. 

The budget reconciliation package  approved by the House of  Representatives earlier this year cuts almost $300 billion in funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) over 10 years. According to organizations like Bread for the World, the CBPP and FRAC, this is the largest single reduction of domestic food assistance ever enacted.  A similar plan in the Senate would make similar or deeper cuts in the two very important programs. 

Here is the text of the letter.

To the Honorable Members of the New Mexico Congressional Delegation,

We, the undersigned, are writing in strong and unified opposition against the

catastrophic cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and
Medicaid now being considered in the United States Congress.

Our concerns are well founded and based on decades of accumulated experience
serving communities in the fields of hunger relief, housing, medicine, education, and
many other disciplines.

We are living in a time of rising food costs, high inflation, and, for many working families,
incomes that simply cannot keep pace. Across our country and across our state,
exhausted parents are feeling the pain of putting their children to bed hungry. Seniors
who worked their whole lives are having to make a choice between buying medicine
and buying food. Veterans who served this great country with honor are scraping by to
pay rent and afford groceries.

Many low-income New Mexicans are looking to our leaders in DC to help make
everyday life easier and the American Dream more accessible to all.

Cutting over 200 billion dollars from SNAP and Medicaid to pay for tax cuts will not help
our neighbors struggling to put food on the table. Decimating funding for these popular
programs will not result in improvement or higher efficiency. It will only increase hunger,
sickness, and deepen poverty for people who are already struggling.

There are already long lines at charitable food distributions in cities and towns across
New Mexico. The number of people waiting for food in front of their local church or
community center could easily triple or quadruple with the passing of this legislation.
Rural communities could see closures of clinics and grocery stores. More people will go
without health insurance. Less people will get preventative care. This will lead to
increased emergency room visits with less compensation for hospitals and higher
charges for insured patients.

House and Senate plans to shift the costs of federal food assistance to the states could
leave New Mexico taxpayers on the hook for $255 million dollars. Many states will be
unprepared or unwilling to pay and may opt out of SNAP altogether. This will leave
millions of Americans with even less food than they have now.

New Mexico food banks and other charitable institutions cannot be expected to double
or triple the amount of food they distribute in the next few years to make up the
difference. New Mexicans with health care should not be expected to weather higher
prices for coverage. Our state’s hard working farmers should not be expected to incur
losses due to funding cuts to nutrition incentive programs like Double Up Food Bucks.

SNAP and other federal nutrition programs have a proven track record of keeping
millions out of poverty and improving food security during times of recession and crisis.
Medicaid is the backbone of New Mexico’s healthcare provider network.
Cuts to one program will undermine the effectiveness of the other.

Cuts to both will cost New Mexico billions of dollars.

As Americans, we can do better than allowing hunger and sickness to thrive in our
nation.

Now is not the time to gut these programs. Now is the time to strengthen and support
them.

We urge every member of Congress to vote against any legislation that results in cuts to
SNAP and Medicaid.

Sincerely,

Recreating Lobby Day Locally (Letter Delivery Part 2)

We visited Rep. Stansbury's ABQ office on Tuesday, May 13. We had a cordial conversation with her aide DeChellie Gray, who listened to our request to the congresswoman to protect and modernize WIC and save funding for @global nutrition. We handed her Bread for the World letters from seven churches. [#NourishOurFuture]

Our delegation included Winona Poole, Ella Joan Fenoglio and Jim Collie from La Mesa Presbyterian Church, Jeanne Marquardt Elmhorst from Albuquerque Mennonite Church, Terri Christiansen from St. Timothy's Lutheran Church and Carlos Navarro from St. John XXIII Catholic Community.

Special Delivery (and Lunch)

Phase I of our local letter delivery/lobby day is now complete.  

On May 8, we met with Albuquerque aides to Sen. Ben Ray Lujan, Sen. Martin Heinrich and Rep. Gabe Vasquez to advocate for protections to WIC and global nutrition and handed over letters from seven churches (First Presbyterian in ABQ, Central United Methodist, La Mesa Presbyterian, St. Andrew Presbyterian, St. Paul Lutheran, Albuquerque Mennonite, and St. John XXIII Catholic Community) with the same requests. #nourishourfuture

We attempted to recreate a Lobby Day experience for local Bread advocates, many of whom won't be able to go to Washington for the Advocacy Summit and Lobby Day in June.

Our delegation included Andy Stoker and Abbey Reed from Central United Methodist Church, Daniel Erdman and Jeanne Marquardt Elmhorst from Albuquerque Mennonite Church and Carlos Navarro from St. John XXIII Catholic Community.

A few others from La Mesa Presbyterian Church and St. Timothy Lutheran Church are joining Abbey, Jeanne and me for a meeting at Rep. Melanie Stansbury's office on Tuesday, May 13. {Stay tuned for photos and accounts from that meeting)

Drew Hill and Eli Baca (Rep. Vasquez) met with us at a South Valley eatery

We spent 1/2 hour chatting with Desirae Shorter (Sen. Ben Ray Lujan)

We handed our letters to Dalweed Torres-Avila (Sen Heinrich)

Afterwards, we treated ourselves to lunch at Oaxcan restaurant La Guelegatza in the South Valley. Our choice of eatery is significant because Daniel is a native of Oaxaca and Abbey visited that state during her 16 years living in Mexico

In 2022, the restaurant was named a semifinalist for a James Beard Award in the Best Chef: Southwest category.  Read more in New Mexico Magazine