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Vegetables make up nearly 30% of the food and meals distributed by New Mexico's Roadrunner Food Bank. (Courtesy: RoadrunnerFoodBank).

Individuals, groups contribute thousands of volunteer hours to NM food bank

Volunteering is a "leap of faith" - donating time and in-kind support to help others who are struggling - but research shows people who pitch in…

Attendees at a New Mexico summit discuss how to help in a state ranked one of the most food-insecure in the nation. (Courtesy Roadrunner Food Bank)

SW food banks meet to brainstorm hunger solutions, create action plan

People who receive emergency food services from New Mexico food banks and other charitable organizations were among those at a strategic summit Friday…

In the United States, some 200 food banks feed more than 46 million people through food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and other community-based agencies. (Roadrunner Food Bank)

How hunger disproportionately impacts rural communities

Some 44 million Americans are struggling with hunger, including 250,000 in New Mexico, and a nationwide food bank network wants Congress to help…

A recent food and fund drive by Albuquerque's Corrales Elementary School raised $2,500 and collected more than 1,200 pounds of food. (Courtesy Roadrunner)

Hosting a food drive could be your best ever New Year's resolution

The new year is an opportunity to reset and presents an opportunity to give back to your community by hosting a food or fund drive. New Mexico's …

A diet devoid of indigenous foods is known to have a dramatic effect on the lives of American Indians and Alaska Natives. (Courtesy: Save the Children)

Navajo Nation children embrace cafeteria's native foods

Across the globe, hunger is an enormous threat to children. To combat the problem, one rural school district in northwest New Mexico is bringing …

New Mexico aims for 'no hungry holidays' by doubling donations

Just a few days into December, food bank demand is high while some warehouse shelves are lean, and in New Mexico, a matching donation program this …

Farmers and ranchers steward about 44% of the United States' landmass. (ZoranZeremski/Adobe Stock)

Delayed Farm Bill could affect millions of Americans

The Farm Bill, typically renegotiated every five years will likely be extended to six years this time around, as Congress seems months away from …

A new report from the Environmental Protection Agency found 58% of methane emissions from landfills come from food waste. (kpn1968/AdobeStock)

Continued food waste in U.S. alarms states with high food scarcity

A new government report highlighted the urgent need to keep food waste out of landfills, noting 30% to 40% of food produced in the U.S. is never …

New Mexico lawmakers this year passed the Healthy Hunger-Free Students' Bill of Rights, which provides students free breakfast and lunch regardless of their income. (USDA)<br />

USDA unveils new alliance to strengthen school food procurement

As part of October's National Farm to School MonthNational Farm to School Month, the Department of Agriculture has announced a new effort to improve …

New Mexico's Healthy Foods Market, operated by Roadrunner Food Bank, distributes fresh produce and perishable food items monthly in nine urban, rural and tribal communities. (Photo courtesy RRFB)

New Mexico's Food Activists Shine Light on Hunger

The lines at hunger relief organizations are longer now as pandemic-related benefits have ended, but you can help your neighbors with grocery …

New Mexico is one of only a few states to include immigrant tax filers who use their Individual Taxpayer Identification Number in filing for state and federal credits and rebates. (JoshuaResnick/Adobe Stock)

NM Aims to Promote Justice with Tax Rebates for Immigrant Workers

Tax rebates can boost economic growth, and the rebates available in New Mexico this summer are designed to reverse discriminatory exclusions of …

Roughly 26% of teenagers and college students volunteer in their communities. (motortion/AdobeStock)<br />

NM Schools Use 'Real-life' Experiences to Ready Students for College, Career

A New Mexico program is offering high school students more real-world experiences to boost their interest in college and a career. Future Focused …

Emergency allotments added to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) during the pandemic have ended, increasing the number of food-insecure households. (Courtesy Roadrunner Food Bank)

NM Group Offers Families, Kids Summer Food Assistance

New Mexico kids on vacation from school are no longer queueing-up for cafeteria meals - and that can increase hunger for low-income children and their…

New Mexico used federal pandemic funds to expand child care assistance, which was replaced by state funding during the 2023 legislative session to prevent a reversal. (nmvoices.org)

NM Kids' Well-Being Falls Short; Child Advocates Expect Turnaround

New Mexico ranks last in a new report on kids' overall well-being by state, but children's advocates said the two-year-old data does not tell the …

The phenomenon called summer learning loss is notable in countries with lengthy breaks, including the United States and Canada. (AdobeStock/peopleimages.com)

NM's Schoolchildren Get Help Through 'Make Summer Fair' Program

Summer, with its 90-day break from school, can be fun but also a challenge for New Mexico's rural kids who rely on school for companionship and meals…

Fossil research suggests the oldest chile pepper specimen may be from the Southwest, and not South America as originally believed. (R. Deanna/University of Colorado)

NM Chile Peppers Likely Millions of Years Older Than Previously Thought

New research shows ancient chili peppers were likely growing in Southwestern states like New Mexico millions of years earlier than previously thought…

A one-day food drive sponsored by the National Association of Letter Carriers (AFL-CIO) has delivered more than 1.82 billion pounds of food in the past 30 years. (Courtesy Roadrunners)

'Stamp Out Hunger' Food Drive Returns to New Mexico Saturday

One in five children in New Mexico is at risk of hunger, and this weekend you can make a difference. Hunger-relief organizations are promoting the …

New Mexico, one of 14 U.S. states that grows pecans, is the second-largest world producer of the hickory tree nut. (AmandaHarris/Adobe Stock)

NM Ag Workers Monitor Priorities in 2023 Farm Bill

Many farmers and ranchers in drought-ridden New Mexico are making improvements to their irrigation systems this spring, while also keeping an eye on …

Barbara, Gay, Bonnie and Michele make every month National Volunteer Month, regularly giving time to Albuquerque's Roadrunner Food Bank. (Roadrunner Food Bank)

New Mexico Volunteers Help Fight Food Insecurity

Those who give voluntarily of their time take center stage during April's National Volunteer Month. And New Mexico's Roadrunner Food Bank wants more …

A report based on federal data shows New Mexico's rate of homelessness is 12 individuals per 10,000 people, compared with 18 per 10,000 nationwide - lower than neighboring Colorado, also at 18 per 10,000, but higher than Texas at eight per 10,000. (M-SUR/AdobeStock)

NM Homelessness Declines, But Rural Folks Face Barriers

In the past two years, homelessness in America has risen only 1%, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development - which …

Five grants from Save the Children's Innovation Lab will total $500,000. (Adobe Stock)

Grant to Combat Food Insecurity on the Navajo Nation

A new grant will support local efforts to reduce rural child food insecurity on the Navajo Nation. New Mexico has one of the highest rates of child …

Child poverty rates worsened nationwide in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, but improved slightly in New Mexico. (Rawpixel.com/AdobeStock)<br />

Report: NM Child Well-Being Fared Better Than Expected During Pandemic

New Mexico's Voices for Children has released its latest Kids Count Data Book - noting some quality-of-life improvements despite COVID, but also …

In a 2018 ruling, a state District Court judge found New Mexico was failing to prepare students equally for college and a career, specifically citing a lack of sufficient education for Native Americans. (AdobeStock/mmg1design)

NM's Boost in Early Education Funds Included in Federal Omnibus Bill

New Mexico voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot question in November to spend more money on early childhood education and public schools, and now …

When the 2023 legislative session convenes, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham says she'll push lawmakers to ensure all public school students get free school meals. (vejaa/AdobeStock)

Post-Pandemic, Hunger in NM Still a Critical Concern for Thousands

Holiday preparations are underway, and those who battle hunger in New Mexico are urging communities to remember their neighbors at a time when food …

The expansion of tax credits and free school meals during COVID-19 temporarily lifted more than three-million children out of poverty during the latter half of 2021, according to a Child Trends report. (disha1980/AdobeStock)

Study: Lifting Children Out of Poverty Losing Momentum

A new study found progress made to reduce child poverty over the past 25 years in the U.S. is at risk of stalling or being reversed. Child poverty …

New Mexico ranks second in the nation for childhood hunger, according to Feeding America, with one in five children, or about 20.5% of children in the state, at risk of hunger. (nokidhungry.org)

Your Chance to Help Alleviate Hunger in New Mexico

A silver lining of the pandemic was more money available to address hunger, but those funds are drying up, and many in New Mexico will struggle this …

Food banks help the one in five New Mexico children estimated to be at risk for hunger, and one in eight overall, according to Roadrunner Food Bank. (dosomething.org)

Making 'HELP' Available to New Mexico's Hungry, Food Insecure

Inflation has caused some New Mexico families, who were breaking even six months ago, to once again struggle, and groups working to alleviate hunger …

A new report shows the meal gap in New Mexico is 43.6 million meals, according Feeding America's

Federal Pandemic Funds Reduced NM Hunger; Longterm Worries Remain

Food insecurity in New Mexico dropped during COVID, but groups working to fight hunger worry the temporary reprieve will reverse itself now that …

The national infant formula shortage has been an ongoing issue since the pandemic began in 2020, when formula was among the products stockpiled by consumers.(Dirk[Beeki]Schumacher/Pixabay)<br />

States Can Make Baby Formula Easier to Get for WIC Participants

Shopping for baby formula online could soon be a reality for those enrolled in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and …

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in New Mexico includes one in four children being at risk of hunger, and one in six people overall. (hfcc.edu)

Letter Carriers 'Stamp Out Hunger' Campaign Returns After COVID Hiatus

Mail carriers across New Mexico are gearing-up for the "2022 Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive" this Saturday, May 14. The National Association of Letter …

A storytelling project in the desert Southwest demonstrated the resiliency of local food production versus reliance on the industrial food system. (Courtesy Michelle Carreon)

Desert Southwest Shows Resilience in Feeding Families Amid COVID-19

When a nonprofit food center in the desert Southwest began a project to chronicle challenges of land and water access combined with climate change…

Research in 2020 and 2021 at the University of New Mexico found a higher percentage of undergraduates were food insecure than graduate/professional students. (news.unm.edu)

More Money for Food Pantries at NM Colleges, Universities

More than half of Native American students at the University of New Mexico face food insecurity, with Hispanics second-most affected, at 35%…

Geneva Ortiz, Tom Elmhorst and Mildred Griffee sort surplus bread as weekly volunteers for Albuquerque's Roadrunner Food Bank. (courtesy photo: rrfb)

Purpose, Better Health Drives New Mexico Volunteers

COVID-19 shutdowns sent many New Mexico volunteers home to isolate, especially those 60 and older. This month, volunteer contributions are being …

Gasoline prices are higher in California than New Mexico, but drivers could pay over $5 and even $6 a gallon for unleaded during peak summer driving season, according to AAA. (Obelixlatino/Pixabay)

NM Legislature Convenes to Consider Relief for Gas, Food Prices

With the goal of providing financial relief for New Mexicans struggling with higher prices for gas and food, legislators convene today for a special …

Since the start of the pandemic, at least 30,000 immigrant families in New Mexico were excluded from stimulus rebate checks, unemployment benefits and other safety-net programs. (SomosUnPuebloUnido)

Statewide "Guaranteed Basic Income" Launches in New Mexico

In the next few days, more than 300 undocumented or mixed-immigration-status New Mexico families will begin receiving $500 monthly for the next year…

Child well-being in New Mexico was steadily improving prior to the onset of the pandemic, according to a new report from the state's Voices for Children. (AlexandraKoch/Pixabay)

Report: NM's Hispanic Families Hurt Most by Pandemic

New Mexico's families of color, Hispanic families in particular, have been hit hardest by income losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to …

President Joe Biden's Build Back Better bill would have reauthorized the expanded Child Tax Credit but is now in jeopardy after Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., reversed his support. (marcinjozwiak/Pixabay)

Endangered Tax Credit Impacts Thousands of New Mexico Children

Expansion of the Child Tax Credit during the COVID-19 pandemic has made a huge difference for many New Mexico families, but payments will not resume …

Hunger and poverty go hand in hand in New Mexico, where 83% of families experiencing hunger earn $20,000 or less a year. (rrfb.org)

Stepping Up for NM's Food Insecure as Winter Holidays Approach

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Whether it's seniors, people with children, students or the working poor, vulnerable populations across New Mexico are …

NM Conference Urges Seniors to “Adapt, Overcome & Thrive”

SANTA FE, N.M. -- Forced isolation from the pandemic has made it hard for seniors' voices to be heard in the past couple years, and New Mexico's …

Since the pandemic, New Mexico has started 49 new food-distribution points in seven counties, according to the Roadrunner Food Bank. (NAACP)

As Pandemic Wanes, Food Insecurity Lingers

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- As the pandemic wanes, hunger and food insecurity are also on the decline, but the need is still far above pre-pandemic levels…

Las Cruces' Camp Hope provides temporary, transitional shelter in the form of tents, showers and cooking facilities while people experiencing homelessness transition to permanent housing. (nmcommunityofhope.org)

Desert Hope: A Las Cruces Option for People Who've Been Homeless

LAS CRUCES, N.M. - A new apartment complex built to serve people who've been chronically unhoused in Las Cruces was three-quarters full when it …

Some seniors experiencing food insecurity collect too much in Social Security benefits to qualify for federal SNAP (food stamp) benefits, and must rely on a local food bank to tide them over. (Queen/Pixabay)

Albuquerque Food Bank Joins National Hunger Action Month

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- The number of people struggling to put food on the table in New Mexico has decreased since the onset of the pandemic, but those …

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has estimated that one in six New Mexico individuals and one in four children live in homes without consistent access to food in order to live healthy, active lives. (rrfb.org)

NM Food Bank Reports Pandemic-Induced Record for Food Distribution

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - The COVID-19 pandemic is waning, but its devastating impact has changed just about every aspect of normal life, including levels …

Weight gain was a common pandemic side effect, but experts say just adding a few more steps to your routine can help shed the pounds. (stevepb/Pixabay)

Experts Advise Kindness, Not Dieting, to Lose Pandemic Weight Gain

SANTA FE, N.M. - More than 60% of adults reported weight problems during the pandemic, according to the American Psychological Association. So…

New Mexico's Early Childhood Education Trust Fund will help provide a long-term funding source to invest in New Mexico's youngest children, according to New Mexico Voices for Children.(Victoria_Borodinova/Pixabay)

Pluses Outweigh Minuses in NM Kids Count Data Despite Pandemic

SANTA FE, N.M. -- A report on New Mexico's children and families showed steady improvement in child poverty since 2016, declining from nearly 31% to 2…

As the pandemic lingers, 11% of New Mexico residents say they don't have health insurance, compared to 12% nationwide, according to a report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. (RamanTalpada/Pixabay)

Many NM Families with Kids Face Food Shortages, Depression

ALBUQUERQUE -- New Mexico families struggling against poverty have been further squeezed by the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new report by …

Demand for eggs spiked in mid-March when states rolled-out COVID-19 stay-at-home orders, creating shortages at grocery stores. (Wokandapix/Pixabay)

NMSU Analyzes Food Supply-Chain Crunch Exposed by COVID-19

LAS CRUCES, N.M. - COVID-19 has been a major challenge to America's food-supply chain, but a New Mexico researcher says it's proven resilient - …

Sesame allergies may not receive as much publicity as peanut allergies, but the reactions can be just as serious. (Anaterate/Pixabay)

Allergic Reactions to Sesame Draw Attention from U.S. Congress

SANTA FE, N.M. - Some 1.5 million Americans are highly allergic to sesame, yet it isn't required to be listed on food labels. That may be about to …

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NM: Hunger/Food/Nutrition