Creating a Network for Food Pantries

 In the last ten years, the amount of food we distribute annually has grown more than 70%. Last year, we distributed nearly 30 million pounds of food to those in need of food assistance, but it is still not enough. The recession, high unemployment, underemployment, and low job wages are contributing factors to the growing need for help with food right here in our state.  -Roadrunner Food Bank

What if a food pantry in the South Valley or the Northeast Heights is running low on certain types of food like fresh fruit and vegetables?  Or what if a food pantry does not have the capability of carrying certain types of food because of a lack of refrigeration? Or how do pantries cope there is an overall shortage of canned goods, as was the case this past December? Or how do pantries coordinate when there is a sudden spike in the number of clients, as was the case with the recent government shutdown? On the other side of the coin, what happens when pantries have too much of a certain type of food like milk?

Food pantries come in all shapes and sizes and meet the needs of a broad clientele. The Interfaith Hunger Coalition is working to create a system to connect pantries in the Albuquerque area through an informal network. This is a project that we will discuss at a special meeting on Saturday morning, April 27, at Catholic Charities. 2010 Bridge Blvd. SW. The IHC Education Committee is meeting this week to iron out some details, so stay tuned. We will issue a special invitation in coming weeks.

Taking Inventory of Resources
One of the goals of the Food Pantry project is to help pantries serve as each other's resource to refer clients when food supplies are tight or when certain types of food are required.

We also want to take an inventory of the resources we currently have available in the Albuquerque area.

Please join us at our bimonthly meeting on Tuesday, March 26, at First Presbyterian Church, at 12:00 Noon.

Our special guest presenters are:

• Karen Navarro,  Resource Directory Manager at SHARE New Mexico, who will give an update on food resources in the Albuquerque area and elsewhere in New Mexico.
  
• Jason Riggs, who will tell us about a new call center at Roadrunner Food Bank.  Jason is SNAP Outreach Coordinator at the food bank.