High school kids come around dropping leaflets at my door asking me to donate a bag full of food. This time of year, there are food drives everywhere. Sometimes I give, sometimes I don\u2019t.<\/p>\n
It makes more sense to give money. It\u2019s less inspired but more practical. I was reminded of that recently by Wally Verdooren, Chief Development Officer at Roadrunner Food Bank. Because of discounts and bulk purchasing, the food bank can provide five meals for $1. I can\u2019t give a can of tuna fish for that amount.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t jump all over me. I don\u2019t want to quash anyone\u2019s enthusiasm. Many people are more motivated to give something tangible than to write a check. We want to encourage the teens, church groups and everybody else to do whatever works to help feed those in need.<\/p>\n
According to Roadrunner, more than 17 percent of New Mexicans are food insecure, meaning they can\u2019t count on regular access to food. That\u2019s one in six New Mexicans, or more than 360,000 people. It includes 28 percent of the state\u2019s children, or 145,000.<\/p>\n
Roadrunner is New Mexico\u2019s main nonprofit food assistance hub, working throughout the state with partner distribution organizations and more than 500 local agencies\u2014food pantries, soup kitchens, after-school programs, and senior centers. Roadrunner works with these local partners by collecting and distributing 30 million pounds of food per year to people in need, at no cost to them. That\u2019s more than 25 million meals a year, 70,000 people per week.<\/p>\n
Most of the food is donated or purchased at steep discounts from retailers and other commercial sources. If packaged food has passed its \u201cbest used by\u201d date, it is generally still perfectly safe to eat, according to national food safety guidelines that Roadrunner follows. Retailers also contribute fresh produce that they won\u2019t sell because it isn\u2019t pretty enough. This food might otherwise be thrown away.<\/p>\n
\u201cFood rescue\u201d is the new political term for saving good food from the landfill. It\u2019s becoming a major national initiative in response to a major national disgrace. According to Endhunger.org, an astonishing 31 percent of U.S.-produced food ends up in landfills while millions of Americans go hungry. The financial loss is $161 billion, plus another $1 billion in the cost of disposal. The rotting food generates enormous quantities of methane, a greenhouse gas.<\/p>\n
Much of the food donated to Roadrunner, including that nutritionally critical fresh produce, is rescued.<\/p>\n
The food comes into Roadrunner\u2019s cavernous Albuquerque warehouse and may be passed to local organizations or loaded on Roadrunner\u2019s refrigerated trucks to distribution centers around the state, where distribution is often managed by volunteers.<\/p>\n
Roadrunner calculates New Mexico is still short by 63 million meals a year. So the group has redefined its mission: move beyond feeding hungry people and end hunger in New Mexico \u2013 which naturally means ending poverty in New Mexico.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s interesting to consider how contributing to food security could support economic development, a bottom-up approach that is different from the standard methods we New Mexicans talk about endlessly.<\/p>\n
Does food insecurity contribute to low learning levels, in both children and adults? We know it does. Does it contribute to costly health problems? Yes. Does it contribute to low productivity and the lack of job skills that is commonly cited as one of the factors holding New Mexico back? Maybe. Does it contribute to crime? Quite possibly. There is room for creativity in the way a food supplier might be able to approach these issues \u2013 and not only Roadrunner but other organizations that supply food in New Mexico.<\/p>\n
Nobody eats in the long run, someone once observed. Hunger is right now. Today, some people are enjoying the holiday, others are lonely and isolated, still others are cold and hungry. Give a can or write a check.<\/p>\n
Triple Spaced Again, \u00a9 New Mexico News Services 2015<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
High school kids come around dropping leaflets at my door asking me to donate a bag full of food. This time of year, there are food drives everywhere. Sometimes I give, sometimes I don\u2019t. It makes more sense to give … Continue reading