FEATURE — PAGE 12-13
Amid rising costs and increased demand, The Food Depot needs our community more than ever in 2023.
2023 Souper Bowl Recap
PAGE 4-7
Impact 2022
PAGE 10-11
Program Updates
PAGE 14-17
Atencio Family Giving
PAGE 20
Executive Director's Desk Board of Directors and Staff Donor Recognition Advocacy Grant Updates
As I write this letter, I am monitoring activity in the New Mexico State Legislature, and feeling hopeful. New Mexico is well-positioned to take some major steps in reducing hunger for thousands of our neighbors in need. We also have an administration that continues to raise awareness about hunger and poverty, and is willing to take bold steps to address these issues in our state. In the 2022 session, Governor Lujan Grisham championed legislation that invested in our local producers’ ability to support New Mexico’s food system, increased immediate hunger relief efforts for food insecure New Mexicans, and built the capacity of New Mexico’s supply chain. In 2023, the Governor is continuing this work with her Food Initiative.
I feel encouraged by Governor Lujan Grisham’s willingness to speak openly about New Mexico hunger and to work with educated legislators to pass legislation to help the 1 in 5 New Mexico children suffering from hunger, and the 1 in 8 New Mexicans who experience food insecurity.
They recognize that New Mexico food banks cannot fully address hunger alone…that it takes public and private partnerships to end it.
Please take a moment to call Governor Lujan Grisham to express your appreciation for the work she is doing to end hunger and poverty. Let your state legislators know that you are grateful for their work on these issues, and that until we end poverty in New Mexico, you support their work on hunger. Elected officials at all levels of government have the power to make lasting change. I’m encouraged to see our state’s elected officials use that power for good.
Feeling hopeful,
Sherry Hooper Executive Director
Donate
You can make a monetary donation: Online: thefooddepot.org
Over the phone: 505-510-5803
Advocate
You can make a difference by sharing information about hunger in our communities. Share information from our social media pages or join the Advocacy Committee.
For more information, email Sherry Hooper at shooper@ thefooddepot.org Volunteer
The Food Depot is always looking for volunteers to join the team.
To learn how to get involved or to start an application, visit thefooddepot.org/volunteer
Len Rand, President • Thomas Jensen, Vice President
Janet Clow, Treasurer • Caitlin Smith, Secretary
Bill Sveum, Ph.D., At Large Member
David Barton • Noah Berke • Scott Bunton
Rubina Cohen • V. Brian D'Andrea • Bridget Dixson
Sandra Mitiko Higaskino Greene • Jeremy Miller
David Risser • Rachel Rogers • Dr. Bret Smoker
Deborah Trouw • Michael Trujillo
Sandra Aguilar
Jeanette Alt Romero
Scott Alexander
Robyn Archuleta
Steven Bolin
Kayla Bostic
Amanda Bregel
Elier Chacon
Zamir Crispin
Jill Dixon
Lorenzo Duran
Albert Fores
Enriqueta Granados
Jonathan Griego
Dave Halerz
Sherry Hooper
Russell Johnson
Connor Lester
Manuel Lovato
Sammy Madrid
Wayne Martin
Guadalupe Martinez Hernandez
Tori Mendes
Brooke Minnich
Ashlynn Montoya
Thank you to our temporary / contract staff:
Meredith Lorencz
Bonnie Murphy
Pauline Montoya
Louie Montano
Dogucan Nalkiran
Alex Nolasco
Mary Ocampo
Alan Peura
Joyce Pohl
Amber Prada
Paul Rodriguez
Alma Salas
Vilma Salinas
Arianna Sanchez
David Sanchez
James Sanchez
Jerome Sanchez
Maria Sanchez
Sal Sandoval
Fred Santistevan
Billie Secular
Michael Silva
Cathy Sisneros
Ever Solis
Olivia Villalpando
Joel Villegas
Jerry Wagner
Souper Bowl 2023, presented by Enterprise Bank and Trust, made a triumphant return to The Santa Fe Convention Center on January 28th.
Nineteen restaurants participated in the competition, each hoping their
delicious recipe would secure enough votes to take home the trophy for “Best Soup”. Attendees also cast votes for their favorite in each category: cream, savory, seafood, and vegetarian.
With a record-breaking number of 1,500 attendees and the highest amount ever raised for The Food Depot’s hunger relief work, Souper Bowl was truly a community-wide effort.
In the lobby, staff of Kids Kitchen, a program of The Food Depot, delighted taste buds with their Groundnut Stew (as pictured above).
Thank you to all participating chefs of Souper Bowl 2023. Continue to support these local restaurants:
Brochachos' Food Cart, Cake’s Corner Cafe, Café Bon Appétit at IAIA, Cafecito, CHOMP!, Cowgirl BBQ, Dr. Field Goods Kitchen, El Nido, Escondido, Izanami, Jambo Café, Kingston Residence of Santa Fe, La Montañita Co-op, Poki Tako, Red Sage at Buffalo Thunder, Rowley Farmhouse Ales, Sweetwater Harvest Kitchen, Tibet Kitchen, and Wild Leaven Bakery.
The sponsors of Souper Bowl 2023 provided the funds and supplies needed to make this event possible. Show your support to these businesses throughout the year:
Headline: Enterprise Bank and Trust
Platinum: Altamira Financial Group LLC; Hutton Broadcasting, LLC; Nusenda Credit Union; Raymond James; Santa Fe New Mexican;
SignPlex; TechSource; and What THE Truck.
Gold: AllPrint Graphics; City of Santa Fe City Councilor Jamie Cassutt; Century Bank; Elevation Financial; Financial Partners; Flow Science; Master Tech Auto Repair Inc; and Starbucks.
Silver: Del Norte Credit Union; Great Ideas!; Guadalupe Credit Union; Phase One Realty; Precision Surveys; and Santa Fe Reporter.
Bronze: David Brenner, MD; Dashing Delivery; Hal Burns Truck and Equipment; Origami in the Garden; R.L. Leeder Company; Rancho de Chimayó; Santa Fe By Design; and Santa Fe Recovery Center.
Supporter: The Auto Angel Inc.; Bellas Artes; The Gilded Page; NM Tea Co; Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce; The Water Man; Wheels 4 Heels; and Wilson Transfer and Storage.
Souper Bowl will provide more than 400,000 meals to Northern New Mexicans! Thank you to everyone who participated.
The Votes Are In!
Here are the 2023 Souper Bowl Winners:
BEST Soup
BEST SAVORY SOUP CHOMP!
Chicken Tom Yum by Chef Kimnath “Nath” Nou
BEST OVERALL SOUP & BEST CREAM SOUP WINNER
Dr. Field Goods Kitchen
Truffled Cauliflower Soup by Chef Josh Gerwin
Congratulations to Chef Guido Lambelet of Café Bon Appétit at IAIA who supported Souper Bowl for 21 years!
BEST SEAFOOD SOUP
El Nido
Coconut Green Curry Seafood by Chef Ziggy Montalvo
BEST VEGETARIAN SOUP Red Sage at Buffalo Thunder
Gramitas de Calabacitas by Chef Tom Kerpon
Since April 2021, The Food Depot has had the privilege of partnering with Global Give-A-Book (GGAB) to provide children’s books at no cost to clients. GGAB is an all female-led nonprofit organization serving the New Mexico community since 2020. Their main mission is to provide literacy to economically distressed youth through food pantries. This partnership has provided thousands of high-quality books in English and Spanish to The Food Depot programs: Diaper Depot, Summer Meals, the Food Mobile, and disasterresponse distributions in Mora County. Casita de Comida, The Food Depot’s new choice-based food pantry, is now receiving books as well to the delight of families from Española and surrounding areas.
Literacy Matters to GGBA because: There is 1 book for every 300 children in low-income neighborhoods.
Program Impact:
Between 2020 and 2022, Global Give-ABook distributed 10,000 books!
A young girl gets a new book to read during a January Casita de Comida food distribution.
The Food Depot is grateful for this partnership and looks forward to working with Global Give-A-Book for many years to come!
In November 2022, Albertsons Market and Market Street gave Santa Fe shoppers the opportunity to donate to The Food Depot at the register. The campaign raised $27,000 - enough to provide up to 100,000 meals! Thank you to store
Be part of the largest singleday food drive in the nation!
The Food 4 Pets program supports clients who may struggle to provide food for beloved dogs and cats. Dry food is bought in bulk and then repackaged in the warehouse before traveling to seven different distribution sites in rural New Mexico. In a single shift, volunteers can repack over 8,000 pounds of food for pets.
On Saturday May 13, your letter carrier will pick up any nonperishable donations left at your mailbox. If you live in Santa Fe, the dry goods will then be picked up at local post office branches by The Food Depot and sorted at our warehouse. Donations of items such as canned protein, ready meal kits, dry grains, peanut butter, and canned fruits and vegetables make a difference to The Food Depot’s many programs. Be on the lookout for the Stamp Out Hunger collection bag and email The Food Depot’s Events and Outreach Coordinator at events@thefooddepot.org with questions.
When it’s time to start the spring garden, consider planting a row for The Food Depot. Whether it’s four or forty pounds of produce, we welcome your fresh donations this spring. Your local produce can be distributed quickly to hungry New Mexicans any day of the week. Thank you for helping us provide the freshest food to our communities!
Throughout 2002, volunteers spent over 251 hours repacking pet food!Store directors Jeremy Miller, Isaiah Garcia, Jeremy Montoya, and their teams present this year's "Turkey Bucks". A group of Food 4 Pets volunteers repack pet food in February 2023.
• Annual Pounds: 10 million
• Annual Meals: 8.3 million
• Monthly Meal Average: 699,808
• Nutrition:
Fruit & Vegetable: 53%
Protein: 23%
(% of food type out of overall distribution poundage)
The Food Depot serves 40,000 people in 9 Northern New Mexican counties
Kids Kitchen Meals: Served over 110,000 meals to after-school programs Food Mobile: Average of 1,200 people served each month across 11 sites
School Pantries: Average of 3,000 individuals served each month
Mobile Food Pantries (MFPs): Average of 4,000 people served each month across 16 sites
Food 4 Pets: A total of more than 2,000 pets
541 dog owners
489 cat owners
Diaper Depot: 147,600 diapers distributed at Siler Road
Look for more information on the 2021-2022 Impact coming soon in The Food Depot's next annual report.
The Food Depot Needs Your Help to Weather the ‘Perfect Storm’
The Food Depot calls upon the community for immediate support to help meet the rising costs of food and increased numbers of people seeking services.
At the height of the pandemic, The Food Depot Thursday morning drive-through distribution lines stretched for miles, serving an average of 2,500 individuals each week. In 2023 food lines have only increased, filled with hungry people turning to their food bank for help.
The strain of rising food costs, decreased food reserves, and the end of COVID benefits has now created a hunger-crisis: a ‘perfect storm.’ The Food Depot can only weather this crisis with support from our community.
The Winds of Change:
The pandemic changed how The Food Depot serves hungry New Mexicans. Direct programming through the Food Mobile, Kids
Kitchen, and drive-thru pantries now serves thousands of individuals each month. Our fleet of vehicles drove over 162,000 miles in 2022, taking food to partner agencies and Mobile Food Pantries across nine counties.
Now, more than ever, the most vulnerable in our community rely on The Food Depot’s direct programs and partner agencies for their groceries.
Families who are already struggling with the increased cost of living will feel even more anxiety in the coming months. In March, SNAP (formerly food stamps) payments expanded during COVID will end, affecting the 1 in 4 New Mexicans enrolled in the program. 67% are families with children. With SNAP grocery payments cut in half, people will be forced to find other ways to feed their families.
These food-related crises are threatening to overwhelm The Food Depot, but we believe our community is stronger than the storm.
Today, we are calling upon every person to step up and support our critical work.
• Host a food drive
• Donate to fund our programs
• Call your elected officials at all levels of government to request funding to New Mexico food banks
The Tide Rises:
Since October, food prices at the grocery store have increased more than 12 percent. Families are feeling this strain, and so is The Food Depot. By the end of November, The Food Depot had exhausted our food purchasing budget. The cost of fuel continues to rise as well, impacting transportation for food banks and the families we serve.
Low stock of food on hand is amplifying the crisis. Traditionally, The Food Depot has relied on The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), a federal funded program, for nearly 30 percent of its food inventory – but in 2022, that supply dropped to 21 percent. The Food Depot experienced a decrease in this food source by 25 percent 2021 versus 2022. Availability of rescued food from donor grocery stores and food manufacturers and distributors have declined due to increased efficiencies by those businesses.
Financial support of charitable gifts, once at an all-time high during the pandemic, has returned to prepandemic levels.
Every can collected and dollar donated brings healthy food into local communities. Every call alerts policy makers of the crisis. Be part of The Food Depot’s mission this year and a part of the solution.
To host a food or fund drive, email events@thefooddepot.org.
Casita de Comida offers customers a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, protein, dairy, bread, and nonperishable pantry staples. Shoppers also have access to pick up personal care and hygiene products, diapers, and even children’s books generously donated from Global Give-A-Book.
As of December 2022, The Food Depot officially launched Casita de Comida, a no-cost customer-choice food pantry, centrally in Española amongst Española Pathways Shelter, Bridge to Health NM, and Goodwill.
Casita de Comida’s mission is simple: provide access to nutritious food, and assist in connecting people to additional social services that improve both short and midterm food security. A central guiding principle to Casita de Comida is to enhance “customer choice.”
The program’s grocery shopping experience provides customers the opportunity to select the foods that are meaningful to them and ultimately reduce food waste.
The inspiration for Casita de Comida came years ago when The Food Depot wanted to increase food access and provide customers an optimal shopping experience through a no-cost grocery store model. We were excited to learn about Care and Share Food Bank’s Sunny Side Markets no-cost grocery stores in Southern Colorado. A team from The Food Depot had the opportunity to visit two Sunny Side Markets to learn about the markets' operation and design. The team learned so much and appreciated interacting with so many happy shoppers.
Casita de Comida is just getting started, and The Food Depot is thrilled to provide increased food access for the greater Española community, complementing the impactful work being done by our partner agencies in this area. Over the next year, The Food Depot will continue to expand hours of operation, gather feedback about customer satisfaction, expand offerings, and work with local groups and organizations to optimize the program.
Casita
from December to February 2022: First 6 distributions
Open a total of 18 hours
Served
230 households
appreciates agencies like Christ Lutheran Church that see alleviating food insecurity as more than handing out boxes of food - they offer kindness and dignity to the community.
Santa Fe’s Christ Lutheran Church, one of The Food Depot’s smaller, choice-based pantries, offers a weekly distribution to 20-30 households. For these families, the weekly pantry visit is warm and welcoming. While they wait, participants can sit, chat, and help themselves to coffee and cookies. When it’s their turn, they receive a bag of pantry items, including eggs, and then choose their own bread, produce, and meat. Volunteers have created a space of care and community; they know participants’ names, ask about their families, and remember their stories. Customers give this back: on distribution morning, one woman arrived early and swept the church walkway, while another brought a box of mangoes to share. The Food Depot
In January 2023, the Food Mobile program launched two new distribution sites focused on serving different senior apartment complexes in Santa Fe. Seniors were receiving food with no choice. However, community members voiced a need for more options, more choice, and fresher food. The Food Depot heard these concerns and decided the Food Mobile is the best program for their needs. Instead of having the same produce and shelf stable items dropped to their doorsteps every month, seniors will now be able to choose from the Food Mobile menu. Options include produce, dairy, protein, bread, and healthier shelf stable items. We anticipate serving approximately 200 senior households a month.
In fall of 2022, The Food Depot’s partner agencies completed a survey to assess their experience with our services, food, and assistance in their hunger-relief work. This survey, a tool to move us toward goals in our Strategic Plan, asked questions about food ordering, deliveries, customer service, food quality, and program opportunities.
Agencies reported feeling supported, in communication, and like a part of The Food Depot team. They also reported interest in learning about nutrition education, food safety, and the SNAP program.
We were glad to see that constructive feedback largely fell into categories that are already being addressed, such as user experience with our ordering system and prevalence of nutritious, culturally appropriate, and local foods.
feedback.
Example of Survey Question asked to help The Food Depot Serve their Partner Agencies Better:
With over 50% of agencies responding, we received overwhelmingly positiveA few of the pantry volunteers at Christ Lutheran Church.
The Food Depot is advocating for expansion and improvements to two vital nutrition assistance programs, SNAP and TEFAP.
Improvements to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
• Increase benefits for families with children and older Americans
• Remove barriers for program enrollment for college students and immigrants
Improvements to The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP)
• Enable Tribal governments to administer all federal nutrition programs
We urge you to contact your NM congressional delegation and speak up for The Food Depot:
Senator Martin Heinrich
Senator Ben Ray Luján
Representative Teresa Leger Fernández
Representative Melanie Ann Stansbury
Representative Gabriel Vasquez
The Food Depot Supports Public Policies and Programs that Lift People Out of Poverty
Our advocacy work engages with partners at local, state and regional levels to find creative and lasting solutions for food insecurity.
Everyone is invited to this vital part of The Food Depot’s hunger-relief work.
At The Food Depot, we believe access to food is a human right.
During the 2023 New Mexico Legislative Session, The Food Depot, along with the NM Association of Food Banks, championed
• Increased, recurring funding for food banks
• Universal free breakfast and lunch for schoolchildren
• Increased SNAP benefits for seniors
• Simplifying the process for hunters to donate game to food banks
• Increase TEFAP storage and distribution funds
• Provide food banks with funding to buy locally-produced foods for the TEFAP program
Join The Food Depot’s Advocacy mailing list to receive policy updates. Email Executive Director Sherry Hooper at shooper@thefoodepot. org.
On June 21, 2022, a voluntary force led by Sherry Hooper released the “Report to the Mayor: Ensuring Every Child In Santa Fe Has Access To Sufficient And Nutritious Food”. The report details poverty research and ambitious proposals to end childhood hunger in Santa Fe. To read the report and join the continued advocacy work, visit thefooddepot.org.
honored for the continued support of the Atencio family, owners of local El Parasol and El Paragua restaurants. The family recently reached the $100,000 mark of donations to The Food Depot.
“Through the extreme ups and downs of the last decade, the Atencio family has continued to give, even during an incredibly challenging time for restaurants and their family business. It especially warms my heart when a longstanding, local business makes this kind of commitment to us,” shared Sherry Hooper.
The legacy of the Atencios' commitment has led to additional Food 4 Kids school based pantry sites in Rio Arriba County, the opening of Casita de Comida in Española, construction of additional warehouse space on Siler Road, and 400,000 provided to people across nine counties. May this family’s resolve in supporting change in their community be an inspiration to us all, to give back at whatever level, and in whatever way works best for each of us.
El Parasol’s history started in 1958 with the brothers selling their mother’s Mexican food on the side of the road, outdoors, under an umbrella.
The Atencio family has six locations spanning three cities in northern New Mexico: Española, Los Alamos and Santa Fe:
1. Española North/Ohkay Owingeh, Hwy 68 Travel Center, San Juan, NM 87566
2. 603 Santa Cruz Rd, Española, NM 87532
3. 1903 Central Ave, Los Alamos, NM 87544
4. 30 Cities of Gold Rd, Pojoaque, NM 87506
5. 1833 Cerrillos Rd, Santa Fe, NM 87505
6. 298 Dinosaur Trail, Santa Fe, NM 87508 elparasol.com
More than 150 individual donors came together on #GivingTuesday to support The Food Depot’s critical hunger-relief work in Northern New Mexico. On November 29, $60,000 was donated - the equivalent of 240,000 meals! Thank you to the incredible support of all participants on Giving Tuesday and the matching donors.
A United Way of Northern New Mexico Community Action Fund Grant in the amount of $25,000 will support Casita de Comida’s work in Rio Arriba County. The fund awards community partners focused on education, financial stability, and health and wellness.
We are thankful for valuable partners who support program expansion at The Food Depot.
The TJX Foundation awarded two grants to The Food Depot in December of 2022.
A $12,500 award will support the work of Kids Kitchen, while a $10,000 award will support food purchasing for Food 4 Kids school-based pantries.
The TJX Foundation strategically invests in non-profit organizations that address their mission of helping families most in-need, build a valuable future – one where families and children are safe and secure, and have the opportunities they need to thrive.
We are thankful to the TJX Foundation for supporting our programs focused on child hunger.
“My parents instilled in us the importance of giving back. We give because there is still a great need. I feel like The Food Depot does great things with our donations,” said Ralph Atencio.The Food Depot Staff, Robyn (top) and Pauline (right), show why they give on Giving Tuesday.
On November 30, The Food Depot, with support from The Lensic and Century Bank, filled every seat of the auditorium with donations for hunger relief.
The fundraiser raised over $6,800, enough to provide 27,000 meals! Thank you to The Lensic and Century Bank for their leadership.
Thank you to those who supported our annual holiday card drive. Over $15,500 was raised for The Food Depot’s hunger relief programsenough to provide 62,000 meals!
A special thanks to Sally Dillon and Cheryl Brown for their support of
the holiday card drive – Cheryl for her donation of printing costs and Sally for her beautiful, handcrafted design.
The Legacy Society honors those who provide support to The Food Depot through a bequest or planned gift.
Interested in membership? Email Alan Peura, Development Associate apeura@thefooddepot.org, to document your wishes or fill out a bequest intention form.
Distributes fresh mangos at the Kearny Food Mobile –Feb. 3, 2023
Information Technology Manager Salvador Sandoval & longtime volunteer Christy assist at Casita de Comida – Feb. 6, 2023
Helps stock The Food Mobile before a day on the road - Jan. 23, 2023
Caitlin & Mary
Board Member Caitlin Smith and Program Coordinator Mary Ocampo quiz attendees on The Food Depot trivia at Souper Bowl – Jan. 28, 2023
Support from our community of donors makes The Food Depot's work possible. Learn more about the Atencio family's legacy of giving on page 20.
