More Households, Smaller Deliveries: New Mexico Pantries Feel the Holiday Squeeze

Food pantries in New Mexico are entering the holiday season — their busiest period of the year — with surging requests for assistance and shrinking supplies to meet them.

Roadrunner Food Bank, the largest hunger relief organisation in the state, expects to serve 22,000 more households than at this time last year, communications director Dianna Sanchez said. At First Baptist Church in Rio Rancho, client visits have nearly tripled, while weekly food deliveries have dropped from around 3,000 pounds in a good month to 1,000-1,500 pounds lately, according to ministry director Cindy Dunnington.

St. Felix Pantry has dealt with supply shortfalls for months; its operations coordinator, Jayma Reid, says levels have stabilised somewhat but the facility still faces intense operational pressure, and is asking for community food drive support and roughly 10 more regular volunteers a month.

San Joaquin County pantries know the pattern: the holidays bring the longest lines of the year at exactly the moment donations decide whether shelves hold. In New Mexico, state and community support is what operators say keeps the doors open through the shortfall.

Source: Rio Rancho and New Mexico food pantries face high holiday demand — Duke City Wire (dukecitywire.com)