ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Local food banks and pantries have been stretching resources, making room for the inevitable influx of new families and more need this summer. 

Leaders told KOB 4 they wish they could keep a summer stockpile, but it’s just not possible.

“We’re not seeing the food resources, as you can see,” said Kathi Cunningham, a development director for the Rio Grande Food Project. 

We caught the Rio Grande Food Project right after a distribution, but Cunningham says it’s getting harder and harder to keep the shelves full.

“Now we’re about 1,000 people a week. We just don’t have the food for that, so we’re turning people away,” said Cunningham. 

They’re in the middle of a food desert on Albuquerque’s west side, where there’s not a quality grocery store within walking distance to most people. 

They serve as a food pantry, urban garden, and community hub for things like bill assistance and job resources. 

“Our mission is to alleviate hunger, and then cultivate long term food security in our communities,” Cunningham said. 

Roadrunner Food Bank has been helping with that mission for decades.

“We really have not seen any return to sort of pre-pandemic figures in terms of hunger at all,” said Sonya Warwick, director of communications at the Roadrunner Food Bank. 

Warwick says they try to stay as prepared as possible for the inevitably busy summer months. 

“It’s, you know, not necessarily a stockpile, but we’re very mindful about what’s coming in and what foods that we need to secure,” said Cunningham.

Roadrunner just got 150,000 pounds of food through the Stamp Out Hunger Drive in Albuquerque alone – roughly four semi truck loads’ worth.

“It gives us an influx of canned good and nonperishable food items into our inventory right as we’re starting into the busy summer months,” said Warwick. 

It comes right after feeding America’s latest Map the Meal Gap report showing New Mexico has a 60 million meal gap.

The gap grew by 10 million since last year’s report. It comes out to a more than $220 million shortfall in the state’s annual food budget. 

“It’s indicative of continuing what we’re seeing is, you know, the fact that people are seeing elevated need or that we’re experiencing elevated need, because there’s just not enough for families to cover all their needs for their house right now,” said Warwick. 

No matter how tight the resources get, they say they won’t let families down.

“We’re always gonna be here,” said Cunningham. 

The Rio Grande Food Project distributes food twice a week and will keep that up during the summer months.

If you need food assistance, you can always call Roadrunner for information on your closest resource.