In New Mexico, 1 in 5 children face hunger
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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Roadrunner Food Bank distributed 34 million pounds of food over the last year. That’s 28 million meals feeding communities all across New Mexico, but reps say the demand continues to climb.
“One in five New Mexican kids in our state is at risk of hunger and one in seven people overall,” said Sonya Warwick, director of communications at Roadrunner Food Bank. “You know, we tend to have higher poverty rates in our state and hunger comes along with that.”
As the weather heats up, that hunger grows.
“We know kiddos are out of school and with school meals, like breakfast and lunch temporarily on pause, we know it impacts families who have little kids, and kids in general,” Warwick said.
Roadrunner Food Bank already serves tens of thousands of New Mexicans every week. Reps said donations and volunteers keep them going, but they need more of both in the summer.
Roadrunner Food Bank distributed 34 million pounds of food over the last year, but reps say the demand continues to climb.
Warwick said it’s even more of a community effort right now to feed New Mexicans, and there are resources for those who need food outside of the metro.
“If you need help, please call the hotline tonight,” Warwick said. “We definitely want to connect you to services right in your community, no matter where you are. If you have the ability to get involved – whether you’re giving time, giving food or giving funds, you know, please reach out to us as well.”
If you want to donate your time or resources to help those facing food insecurity, visit the Roadrunner Food Bank website to find ways to help.