Reminder: Register for March Presentation

March Meeting: Food is Free Albuquerque

 Join us online on Monday, March 8, 6:30 p.m., for our next presentation featuring Trista Teeter from Food is Free Albuquerque. 

To join the Zoom presentation, please send a request to nminterfaithhungercoalition@gmail.com
Thank you to those who have registered already. We will send out the link a few days before the event.

"We understand the deep connection humans have with their food and we strive to reconnect human beings with the abundance which surrounds us all.  We see an abundance not only in food but community action and compassion."  -Food is Free Albuquerque

Watch a Video


What's Next for Anti-Hunger Bill?
The House Agriculture and Water Resources Committee approved HB 207, the Food, Hunger & Farm Act, on a Do Pass basis on Saturday, February 20. 

See Coverage in Grant County Beat, Feb. 20, 2021
Santa Fe New Mexican, Feb. 13, 2021, Feb. 20, 2021
Los Alamos Reporter, Feb. 21, 2021
and in KRQE News 13 (including video), Feb. 21, 2021

Background:This ambitious bill would create the Food, Hunger, and Farm Council that would work with multiple state departments, institutions, non-profits, and individuals to develop a statewide strategic plan to assess the effects of hunger, malnutrition, and food and water insecurity in New Mexico. See One-page summary (Via New Mexico First)

With more than half of the 60-day session concluded, we are waiting to see whether the measure makes to the full floor in 2021. The lead sponsors are Reps. Melanie Stansbury, Joanne Ferrary and Karen Bash and Sen. Liz Stefanics.  Stay tuned

Other Hunger-Related Bills Making Progress
(Via the NM Food and Agriculture Policy Council)

• SB 229 Healthy Food Financing Act (Senate Finance Committee)
• HB 247 After School & Summer Programs (House Appropriations & Finance Committee)
• SB 101 Agriculture Workforce, $100,000 (Senate Finance Committee)
• SB 185 NM Grown for Seniors, $250,000 (Senate Finance Committee)  Watch an interview on KOB4 with Senator Stefanics, Pam Roy of the NM Food & Agriculture Policy Council, and Denise King from the NM Aging and Longterm Services Department about this bill.  
• HB170 NM Grown for Child Care Centers, $100,000  House Appropriations & Finance Committee)
• HB 243 Expand SNAP Double Up Bucks, $500,000 (House Appropriations & Finance Committee)
• HB 132 Emergency Food Bank Food Items, $5 million  (House Appropriations & Finance Committee)
• HB 133 College Hunger Reduction Pilot Program, $100,000 (House Appropriations & Finance Committee)

Useful Links

House Appropriations & Finance Committee

Senate Finance Committee
NM State Legislature    Find My Legislator   Find a Bill
Citizen's Guide to Legislative Advocacy (New Mexico Voices for Children)

 

Mark Your Calendars

Monday, March 1, Noon-1:30 p.m.
New Mexico Food & Agriculture Policy Council Action Team Meeting and Legislative Update.  RSVP

March 12, 2021  12:00 p.m. Mountain time
Bread for the World's first Southwest regional update of 2021

During the hour-long gathering, you will learn about Bread for the World's 2021 Offering of Letters advocacy campaign and how you and your church can be involved in this campaign to reduce hunger in the U.S. and around the world. You will also have an opportunity to connect with fellow Bread members and advocates in the region.  RSVP

March 15-28
Food Depot Offers Free Streaming of Hungry to Learn


The documentary by award winning producer Soledad O’Brien and  director Geeta Gandbhir is an inspiring and motivating film that investigates the crisis of food insecurity that affects students on every American college campus. Here is a trailer

On Thursday, March 25, 2021 at 5:30 pm, a live event will be hosted by Sherry Hooper, Executive Director of The Food Depot, in conversation with University of New Mexico professor Sarita Cargas, D.Phil., who has just published a study of Basic Needs Insecurity at UNM, completed during the pandemic in April 2020 (Registration info. available soon). Marygold Walsh-Dilley, a lead co-author of with Prof. Cargas, presented the results of the report to the Interfaith Hunger Coalition on January 5, 2021. Here is the video

Tuesday-Thursday, April 20-April 22, 9:00am-12:30pm
2021 New Mexico Grown Institute: Virtual Gathering for New Mexico’s Farm to Cafeteria Practitioners   

Over three days, from April 20 through April 22, 2021, the institute will convene local and regional experts to strengthen our collective work across New Mexico and the wider Southwest region.
Learn more         Call for Proposals to present

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Join Us!

We invite congregations and organizations to endorse the Interfaith Hunger Coalition. The endorsement does not imply any financial contributions, just a commitment to partner with us to address hunger in New Mexico. Here is a list of our current endorsers (25 congregations and 31 organizations).. Download the endorsement form and attach in an e-mail to nminterfaithhungercoalition@gmail.com