End Hunger in New Mexico Summit Scheduled for July 17-18

AARP folks meet with Sen. Udall

One of the people I encountered during an open house hosted by Sen. Tom Udall in Washington during the summer of 2013 was Eugene Varela, state director for AARP in New Mexico. Mr. Varela discussed the possibility that his office would conduct a statewide survey on the impact of hunger on seniors in our state, and I told him I would gladly post the results of the study on the Bread New Mexico blog.

A few months later, I checked with Mr. Varela to see if he had obtained the funding to hire people to help with the study. And unfortunately, the answer was not yet. But there was also good news on another front. Mr. Varela informed me that the Non-Metro Area Agency on Aging and the North Central New Mew Mexico Economic Development District were planning an End Hunger in New Mexico Summit for the Albuquerque area in the summer of 2014.

After months of planning, some details of the summit are finally available. The event will be held on Thursday, July 17, and Friday, July 18, at the Isleta Resort & Casino. The summit intends to build awareness of hunger in New Mexico and support underlying solutions that inspire self-sufficiency and community empowerment and support for a hunger-free tomorrow. The event will address a variety of topics dealing with hunger issues in New Mexico.  Speakers and workshops will  offer solutions, resources and connections to services throughout the state..

Everyone attending the Summit, including partners and presenters, must register. The registration fee is half a grocery bag of non-perishable food items (or $20 if you forget to bring groceries).

To pre-register (by June 30), mail Registration Form to: Dolores Gonzales 866 699-4927 or dgonzales@ncnmedd.com Download Registration form (in MS Word)  Download Summit Registration Packet (in PDF)   If you are unable to pre-register by the deadline, you can register on the days of the event.

For more information, contact Carlos Martinez, 866-699-4927, aaa@ncnmedd.com

Watch this blog for updates and other information relevant to the summit..