Depot Dispatch, Winter 2022

Photo by Gabriella Marks Photography

From the

Executive

Director's Desk

The winter brings a sense of calm and beauty with its changes to northern New Mexico. It is also a time of year for family gatherings where lifetime memories will be made, often with sharing a meal.

While The Food Depot remains busy throughout the year, the holiday season is by far our busiest time of year. We are working with partner agencies and distributing the food directly to the public ourselves to feed as many as possible

The Food Depot was incredibly honored this year to receive the Santa Fe Community Foundation’s Tried and True Piñon Award.

We are proud of this award – the staff have worked tirelessly through the pandemic, wildfire disaster relief and continue to provide food to those in need.

The season will continue to be busy here at The Food Depot. We continue to see increased need at our food distributions. Increased expenses with the cost of food and other necessities are putting strain on households. The higher cost of food and transportation is affecting the food bank's budget as well.

Find updates on the return of our beloved Souper Bowl and the important upcoming 2023 Legislative Session on social media and our website. We are so grateful for your continued support in 2022. We can't do this without you. The Food Depot wishes you a safe and healthy 2023!

With Heartfelt Gratitude, Sherry Hooper Executive Director

Want to Get Involved?

Donate

You can make a monetary donation: Online: thefooddepot.org

Over the phone: 505-471-1633, ext. 131

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 Cathy Sisneros at csisneros@ 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

Thank you to our temporary and contract staff for providing additional assistance:

David Keener

Meredith Lorencz Bonnie Murphy

PAGE 3 THE FOOD DEPOT

Board & Sta

BOARD

Len Rand, President

Thomas Jensen, Vice President Janet Clow, Treasurer Caitlin Smith, Secretary Bill Sveum, Ph.D., At Large Member

David Barton • Noah Berke • Brigid Brahe

• 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

STAFF

Sandra Aguilar

Jeanette Alt Romero

Scott Alexander Robyn Archuleta Steven Bolin Kayla Bostic

Amanda Bregel Luis Calles Montes Elier Chacon Zamir Crispin Jill Dixon Adan Estrada Enriqueta Granados Jonathan Griego Dave Halerz

Sherry Hooper Kira Howard Russell Johnson Sammy Madrid Wayne Martin

Guadalupe Martinez Hernandez Tori Mendes Brooke Minnich Ashlynn Montoya

Louie Montano

Dogucan Nalkiran Alex Nolasco

Mary Ocampo Alan Peura

Joyce Pohl Paul Rodriguez

Alma Salas

NEW MEXICO’S

NORTHERN

State Grant Recipients Announced

The Food Depot hosted Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham for the announcement of recipients for the $10 million Food Security Grant.

The upcoming launch of the second Food Mobile – a mobile grocery vehicle that will provide clients with the choice of what food to take home – was awarded $1.2 million to the project.

"The funding from Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's Office is instrumental to how we will be able to respond in the coming months (and years) to specific hunger-relief efforts,” The Food Depot Executive Director said. “This funding will positively impact the frequency of fresh, local produce, meats and other

food to nourish northern New Mexicans in need,” Hooper added.

Thank you, Gov. Lujan Grisham for your continued support of hungerrelief efforts across the state, including The Food Depot’s service area.

Get Ready for the Launch of our Second Food Mobile

You’ve seen the Food Mobile, aka “the blue bus” around Santa Fe County. Get ready for the launch of our second Food Mobile that will allow us to serve more northern New Mexicans. Visit www. thefooddepot.org for the latest updates in the coming months.

Attendees of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s announcement of grant recipients pose for a photo with the governor after the media conference at The Food Depot on Oct. 7.

Photo courtesy of Pam Roy

Staff Highlights Staff

Celebration

In late August, The Food Depot staff were able to come together to share a meal offsite from the warehouse at the newly opened Rudy’s BBQ thanks to a staff wellness grant award from the Brindle Foundation. Thank you!

Welcome our New Staff in the Development Department and Kids Kitchen: From Wisconsin Your favorite work moment so far: my desk (surefire indicator of a solid

40 Under 40

The Food Depot congratulates Volunteer Manager Steven Bolin on his recent 40 Under 40 Award from the Santa Fe Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. We are proud of you, Steven!

New Position

Kayla Bostic has recently transitioned from the navigation coordinator position to The Food Depot’s events and outreach coordinator. Congratulations, Kayla!

Name: Guadalupita MartinezHernandez Joined The Food Depot: August 2022 Hometown: Tlaxcala, Mexico Title: Food Preparation at Kids Kitchen Your favorite work moment so far: The Food Depot has good people and great benefits.

Executive Director Sherry Hooper welcomes The Food Depot staff to the recently opened Rudy's Country Store and Bar-B-Q in Santa Fe.

Program Updates

Food 4 Kids Continues Growth Beyond Santa Fe County

The Food Depot's school-based pantries (Food 4 Kids) provide students and their families with the resources to make meals at home with dairy, bread, meat, produce, and pantry staples. The program supports students during the school day with immediate food options, but specifically makes an effort to also provide additional healthy food to extended family members. The Food Depot funds this program through general operating donations and grants.

Originally focused in Santa Fe Public Schools, the program has now been able to expand into Rio Arriba and Taos counties. Coordinators at schools include nurses, counselors and various community schools personnel. Partnering with these staff members makes food distribution so powerful because families feel comfortable seeking food assistance from these trusted and familiar faces. Food is kept on site at all times, and schools are equipped with cold storage. This gives each site the flexibility to offer weekly food distributions or schedule a specific time for families to come "shop" in the pantry. Students can also take

bags of groceries home at the middle school and high schools.

Food is more accessible than ever with coordinators stocking specific foods they know their students and families want and need. More than 900 households sought food from 13 Santa Fe Public School sites in September 2022. In rural counties, school pantries will help address food deserts. For example, families receiving food from the new school pantry in Peñasco must usually drive 30 minutes to the closest grocery store. However, now they will be able to easily receive fresh, high-quality foods to their school pantry. A survey by the coordinator at the new Food 4 Kids pantry in Taos found that 45 percent of families at her elementary school were food insecure.

More food access in our school systems will mean less students are hungry during the school day.

Paula LeDoux, school nurse and food pantry coordinator at Tony E. Quintana Elementary School poses for a photo in the new school food pantry recently in Española.

The Santa Fe Community College food pantry is open to students.

Expanding College Food Pantries

College hunger is a major but silent issue, with 36 percent of UNM undergraduates and up to 66 percent of national community college students qualifying as food insecure, according to a 2020 UNM study. The Food Depot is proud to have three local college partner agencies who are thinking creatively about solutions: Santa Fe Community College, Northern New Mexico College in Española, and Luna Community College in Las Vegas. All three institutions are offering or developing choice-based food pantries that are discrete, dignifying, and accessible for students in need, as well as direct student involvement through work-study positions, Hunger Task Force projects, and student ambassadors. All three colleges recently received College Food Security Initiative funding from the New Mexico Higher Education Department to serve hundreds of students each month. With goals of providing cooking classes, local produce, frozen meals, online ordering systems, and locations throughout their campuses, their impactful work is just getting started.

Mobile Food Pantries Expansions

The Food Depot has launched two new Mobile Food Pantries (MFP) since Spring 2022. The MFP program primarily serves rural communities, and is operated by distribution partners of The Food Depot, who are most often volunteers of a specific community. In April 2022, The Food Depot launched the Las Vegas MFP with the robust support of individuals from First Presbyterian Church and numerous community members. Since launching, the MFP has served an average of 233 households per month – many

A volunteer loads a car during the Las Vegas MFP distribution earlier this year.

In May 2022, an MFP was launched in Gallina with the commitment and dedication of individuals from Jemez Mountain Public Schools. The Gallina MFP has served an average of 134 households per month. These MFPs help immensely in resourcing the community and supplementing the work of agencies nearby. The Food Depot is grateful for the distribution partners and their teams of volunteers who collectively make these efforts possible.

Annual Neighbor to Neighbor Fund Drive Sets Another Record

Neighb or to Neighb or

Fund Drive

Breaking their Fundraising Goals

The 11th annual Neighbor to Neighbor Fund Drive hosted in August and September met and exceeded their goal of raising $225,000 – with 1,096 donations totaling $293,996.11 – the equivalent of 1,175,984 meals!

The event has become The Food Depot’s largest fundraiser over the years, and concludes the third Saturday of September as part of National Hunger Action Month.

The friendly competition between neighborhoods, businesses and organizations has been a fun way to encourage everyone to get involved.

A very special thank you to the Neighbor to Neighbor Founder Linda Wilder Flatt and the volunteer team: Mary Ferguson, Linda Flatt, Jane Freemen, Susan Quintana, Sennie Quintana, Gail Rachor and Gracie Schild. Neighbor to Neighbor runs on volunteer power!

Are you interested in being part of the volunteer committee to assist with next year's event? Contact Steven at sbolin@thefooddepot. org for more information.

The Neighbor to Neighbor volunteer team (from left to right): Mary Ferguson, Sennie Quintana, Gracie Schild, Linda Wilder Flatt, Gail Rachor, Susan Quintana.

to Neighbor Founder Linda Wilder Flatt welcomes guests to the awards ceremony at The Food Depot.

The Food Depot celebrated the Neighbor to Neighbor Fund Drive at the warehouse in October.

Souper Bowl XVII Presented by Enterprise Bank & Trust

The Food Depot is delighted to bring back the Souper Bowl — a beloved community event.

Join us on Saturday, Jan. 28, at the Santa Fe Community Convention Center for Souper Bowl 2023. The 27th Souper Bowl will feature area chefs in a friendly competition looking to win your vote for best soup in their category of cream, seafood, savory or vegetarian and best overall soup – it’s all up to you.

Pace yourself because the event features more than 20 creative and tasty culinary delights.

General admission is from noon to 2:30 p.m. A limited number of VIP tickets are available for purchase and early entrance to the event.

Tickets will go on sale at www.thefooddepot.org on Dec. 1, 2022.

VIP tasting: Experience Souper Bowl an hour before the public event without the lines! (limited availability) 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. : $75 adult, $25 children ages 6-12

Early Bird (Dec. 1-Dec. 15, 2022): $25 adult, $10 children ages 6-12

Advance tickets (Dec. 16, 2022Jan. 27, 2023 at noon): $35 adult, $10 children ages 6-12

Day of event (Jan. 28, 2023): $50 adult, $10 children ages 6-12

Children ages 5 years and younger, free

Northern New Mexico’s Food Bank

Get your tickets early for the best price and avoid the lines for the day of ticket purchases.

The Food Depot is Tried and True

The Food Depot's board member and staff pose for a photo before the Piñon Awards at La Fonda on the Plaza on Oct. 6.

From left to right: Volunteer Manager Steven Bolin, Communications Manager Jennifer West, Executive Director Sherry Hooper, Director of Development Kira Howard and Board of Director President Len Rand.

Photo by Gabriella Marks Photography

A top honor for area nonprofits, The Food Depot was presented with the 2022 Tried and True Piñon Award by the Santa Fe Community Foundation at a special dinner at La Fonda on the Plaza on Oct. 6, 2022. A number of staff and board members were able to attend and celebrate the honor.

The Santa Fe Community Foundation says this of the Tried and True award on their website,

"The Tried and True Award honors an organization whose hallmark it is to work quietly and respectfully among a wide range of people in the community.”

Executive Director Sherry Hooper gives her acceptance speech during the Piñon Awards at La Fonda on the Plaza on Oct. 6.

Photo by Gabriella Marks Photography

The Food Depot is committed to addressing food security in northern New Mexico – and remaining tried and true to provide nourishment to those who need it.

The Food

Executive

Sherry Hooper hugs Santa Fe Community Foundation Board of Directors Chair Deborah Holloway after being presented with the Tried and True Piñon Award.

Photo by Gabriella Marks Photography

This year, #GivingTuesday falls on Nov. 29, always the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. #GivingTuesday is an international day of giving, using the power of social media to encourage others to give back through donating, advocating or volunteering.

This year, The Food Depot has multiple, generous supporters that will match any donations made on #GivingTuesday. This stretches every dollar even more and helps provide food to those dealing with food insecurity – working parents, children, seniors, and those in ill health. The need is great, with increased costs on just about everything and especially basic needs.

Program Development Specialist Billie Secular (top), and Program Coordinator Mary Ocampo (bottom), pose with their "unselfie" during #GivingTuesday 2021.

Help "Fill the Seats"

Support this Unique Food and Fund Drive

The Lensic Performing Arts Center, The Food Depot, and Century Bank announce Fill the Seats, a call to help feed northern New Mexico this holiday season.

Drop off non-perishable food donations from Nov. 18 through Nov. 30 at the Lensic Performing Arts Center, 211 W. San Francisco St., in Santa Fe.

Donations will be accepted from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Mondays through Fridays and noon to 4 p.m. on Saturdays, with the exception 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Nov. 30.

The Lensic Performing Arts Center in Downtown Santa Fe.

Photo Courtesy of the Lensic

The goal is collecting enough donations to fill all 821 seats in the theater with bags full of food.

Donations can take the form of non-perishable food or the cash equivalent, with just $25 providing enough for a week’s worth of food for a family of four. The reusable bags are generously provided by Century Bank.

To better meet the goal, we are asking our community to commit to a donation. To do so, please contact the Lensic at 505-988-1234 or visit lensic.org/support.

The Food Depot is grateful to be a part of this unique food and fund drive. Thank you to the Lensic and Century Bank for their continued support.

Community Partner Spotlight: Del Norte Credit Union

The Food Depot is indebted to its partners like the Del Norte Credit Union.

The member-owned and not-forprofit financial institution, Del Norte Credit Union (DNCU), is a longtime supporter of The Food Depot in volunteerism and as a valued Business and Corporate Partner.

Chartered in 1954, DNCU embraces the culture and community traditions of New Mexico. Since 2002, DNCU has donated more than $70,000 to The Food Depot.

In March 2021, DNCU began sponsoring several of The Food Depot's pandemic response programs, a commitment they have continued by sponsoring the Thursday Drive-thru / Walk-thru Pantry, and the Mobile Food Pantry sites in El Rito and Abiquiú. DNCU has provided thousands of reusable insulated bags during distribution,

Left: Del Norte Credit Union (DNCU) staff volunteers

Right: Volunteers pose with an insulated DNCU bag during a Thursday distribution.

as well as information about their financial literacy resources through Banzai and GreenPath. The Del Norte LOV (Living Our Vision) Foundation, an independent 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, has previously sponsored The Food Depot's Diaper Depot, which distributes over 14,000 diapers a month.

In the words of Eric Baldonado, Vice President of Community Relations and DNCU,

"When you give back, you are able to better the lives of the people around you, which fits in well with our mission at Del Norte Credit Union of improving lives. Immersing ourselves in the communities we love brings us so much joy."

Make a Lasting Impact Well into the Future

Give the Gift of Hope

The Food Depot is seeking founding members for our legacy society that honors those who provide support to us through a bequest or planned gifts.

Gifts to The Food Depot received by members of the legacy society are acts of hope today to support those needing our services tomorrow.

Should you already have plans to include us in your estate plans, we would like to thank you and welcome you into our society.

Founding members will be entrusted with naming the society and making decisions around our annual celebration.

"If you’re going to live, leave a legacy. Make a mark on the world that can’t be erased."

The Food Depot's Grants Corner

Support for Current Initiatives

FROST FOUNDATION

Thanks to the Frost Foundation for costs associated with establishing four new Food 4 Kids pantries.

Two Española elementary schools and one each in Taos and Peñasco are beneficiaries of a $20,000 award from the Frost Foundation, which seeks to generate positive change beyond traditional boundaries, to encourage creativity that recognizes emerging needs, and to assist innovation that addresses current urgent problems.

LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL LABS

A Los Alamos National Labs (LANL) Outreach Grant award of $5,000 in the community capacity focus area will provide two $2,500 stipends for two coordinators in Española schools to operate Food 4 Kids panties.

LANL Foundation's Outreach Grants support classroom- and community-based innovative programming, collaboration, and advocacy for lifelong learning–from early childhood to K-12 public education to adult learning.

CON ALMA HEALTH FOUNDATION

The Food Depot is midway through the grant of Con Alma's W.K. Kellogg Foundation Community Rebuild $56,600 award to develop relationships with tribal leaders in Ohkay Owingeh, Picuris, Pojoaque, San Ildefonso, Santa Clara, Taos,

Los Alamos National Labs employee Kayla Norris bags pinto beans recently at the warehouse in Santa Fe.

Nambe, Tesuque, and Jicarilla Apache Nation, to expand services as part of our strategic plan.

The Food Depot seeks to expand food sources to increasingly purchase and redistribute local produce, which aligns with our mission to provide culturally appropriate foods.

NEW MEXICO EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND CARE DEPARTMENT & NEW MEXICO GROWN

Grants from New Mexico Early Childhood Education & Care Department are supporting The Food Depot's Kids Kitchen program.

New Mexico Grown Grant supports the reimbursement of food purchases of food grown, raised, or harvested in NM to foster local foods as staples for young children. The Summer Food and At Risk Expansion and Enhancement Grant will be utilized to purchase equipment to enhance The Food Depot's service for Boys & Girls Club of America programs.

FEEDING AMERICA

Feeding America's Fiscal Year 2022 Blue Cross Blue Shield Nourish Grant award supported three distinct DEI training sessions, one each for the board, leadership team, and staff with Dr. sj Miller, a trans + multidisciplinary awardwinning teacher, writer, activist, and scholar.

Kids Kitchen staff prepare food items for distribution.

Performance Santa Fe

Jessica Vosk: Golden Nights and Holiday Lights

Join Performance Santa Fe (PSF) and beloved Broadway star Jessica Vosk for a very musical holiday celebration.

Jessica dazzles audiences with "her talent, energy, sincerity and humor” (BroadwayWorld). She is best known for her portrayal of Elphaba (Wicked) on Broadway and on the show's national tour, as well as for presenting sold-out solo performances at Carnegie Hall and with the Chicago Symphony.

Jessica's Santa Fe premiere will feature Broadway tunes, holiday favorites, and live musical accompaniment – unforgettable fun for the whole family! The show will also be a gravity-defying fundraiser for PSF’s beloved education programs.

Broadway star, Jessica Vosk Photo Courtesy of Matthew Murphy

Holiday Support

The Food Depot is so grateful for each and every donation, whether financial or food support.

Financial donations allow The Food Depot to purchase foods that are needed, but have not been available through other donation channels. The Food Depot is able to acquire bulk foods for a very discounted rate through the food banking network. Every dollar donated can feed four people.

at:

1222 A Siler Rd., with self-service bins from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Also visit www.thefooddepot. org for a list of area food drives to find a drop-off bin near you or contact Kayla at kbostic@ thefooddepot.org to host your own food drive. Thank you for your support!

Front

Holiday Card Fundraiser

What do you give the person who has everything?

The gift of feeding a person in need! Donate $35 or more in honor of a friend or family member, and send them a holiday card that benefits The Food Depot.

This card was made possible by two special volunteers: Sally Dillon and Cheryl Brown. The card is based on a handmade card design by Sally Dillon. Sally uses rubber stamps, stickers, text, and embellishments on her 3-D creations. The originator of the holiday card idea is Cheryl Brown, and this is her third year donating printing costs.

There are 300 limited edition cards available for order on our website, www.thefooddepot.org , or by phone until Friday, December 8.

of Holiday Card designed by volunteer Sally Dillon.

We welcome your food donations

MORE

Amazon

Support The Food Depot when shopping this holiday season using Amazon Smile.

When you shop, go to smile.amazon.com and select The Food Depot as your nonprofit.

The shopping process is completely the same as shopping on Amazon, with the added benefit of 0.5 percent of your eligible purchases will be donated to The Food Depot.

Smith’s Food and Drug Stores Inspiring Donations

Register your Smith’s digital account at www.smithsfoodanddrug.com/ Inspire and select The Food Depot as your nonprofit organization. Smith’s will donate 0.5 percent of eligible purchases back to The Food Depot.

Santa Fe Brewing

Once again, Santa Fe Brewing is supporting The Food Depot this holiday season. For every case purchased this November and December at area Smith’s and Total Wine locations, 50 cents will be donated to The Food Depot. Cheers!

Making Ends Meet

The Food Depot hosts an interactive workshop where session participants will engage in a poverty simulation exercise to illustrate the challenges of living on a minimum wage budget.

This in-person workshop is held at the warehouse in Santa Fe.

Go to www.thefooddepot.org for dates or to inquire about The Food Depot presenting to your group or organization, contact Kayla for more information at kbostic@thefooddepot.org.

Business & Corporate Partners Program

Thank you to our partners in the business community - from local small businesses to natural corporations - who lend their support in sponsorship, employee giving programs, volunteerism, and food and fund drives.

Left to right: Russell Johnson, Bridget Dixson*, Justin and Sandra Green*, Jeremy Montoya, Kira Howard, Isaiah Garcia, Jeremy Miller*, and Jill Dixon. * Indicates current Director of The Food Depot's board.

Left: Attendees enjoy drink sponsorship by Santa Fe Brewing Co.