Roadrunner Food Bank

Roadrunner Food Bank stands as New Mexico's largest non-profit organization dedicated to solving hunger and food insecurity across the state. Founded in 1979 by Reverend Titus Scholl, who witnessed firsthand the immense poverty and hunger in his community, Roadrunner Food Bank has grown from a visionary idea into a crucial lifeline for hundreds of thousands of New Mexicans each year. As a proud member of Feeding America, the nationwide network of food banks, Roadrunner Food Bank plays a pivotal role in sourcing, acquiring, and distributing millions of pounds of nutritious food to individuals and families in need across its vast service area.

Mission and Vision:

Roadrunner Food Bank's mission is succinct yet powerful: "To provide nourishing food to New Mexicans through vibrant community partnerships and passionate public and private support." Their overarching vision is a New Mexico where "everyone has enough to eat." This vision is underpinned by core beliefs that hunger is unacceptable, that everyone deserves access to sufficient food, and that culturally appropriate and nutritious food is a priority, all delivered with respect for the dignity and equity of all individuals. Their core values emphasize accountability, integrity, respect, unity through teamwork, and a deep passion for their mission.

A Hub for Hunger Relief: The Food Bank Model:

At its core, Roadrunner Food Bank functions as a sophisticated "food bank" – a central hub that "banks" or stores large quantities of donated and purchased food in its vast warehouse facilities. From this central distribution center, a fleet of trucks and tractor-trailers delivers food to a statewide hunger relief network. This network comprises hundreds of affiliated member partners, including:

• Food Pantries: Community-based centers where individuals and families can pick up groceries to prepare at home.
• Soup Kitchens and Meal Programs: Providing ready-to-eat meals for those in immediate need.
• Shelters: Offering food alongside safe lodging.
• Schools: Addressing childhood hunger through various programs.
• Senior Centers and Low-Income Senior Housing Sites: Ensuring elderly individuals have access to nutritious food.
• Healthcare Organizations: Increasingly integrating food access with health outcomes, sometimes operating on-site medical referral food pantries.
• Churches and Religious Organizations: Leveraging existing community infrastructures.
• Tribal Communities: Working to address food insecurity in indigenous populations.

How Food Banks Work

This extensive network allows Roadrunner Food Bank to reach individuals in 24 New Mexico counties, ensuring that food assistance is accessible even in remote or underserved areas.

Comprehensive Programs and Initiatives:

Roadrunner Food Bank's efforts extend beyond mere food distribution, encompassing a range of targeted programs designed to address the multifaceted nature of food insecurity:

1. Hunger Relief Network Distributions: This is the bedrock of their operations, providing food directly to hundreds of partners across the state. This enables partners to offer both perishable and non-perishable items, often allowing for client-choice pantry models where individuals can select food that meets their dietary and cultural preferences.

2. Specialized Programs for Vulnerable Populations:

   • Childhood Hunger Initiatives: Recognizing that 1 in 4 children in New Mexico are at risk of hunger, Roadrunner Food Bank operates programs tailored to address this vulnerability. While specific program names might vary (e.g., Backpack Program, School Pantry Program, Kids Cafés, Summer Feeding Program for the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, which is a common set of programs among Feeding America members), the goal is to provide children with consistent access to nutritious food, especially during weekends and school breaks when school meals are unavailable.
   • Senior Hunger Initiatives: With a growing population of seniors struggling to afford food, prescriptions, and medical care, the food bank provides targeted support. This includes programs that distribute food boxes to seniors (like the Commodities Supplemental Food Program) and distributions through senior centers and low-income senior housing.
   • Health and Wellness Initiatives: Roadrunner Food Bank actively connects the dots between food and health. Their Healthy Foods Center (a medical referral food pantry) and Healthy Foods Markets at healthcare facilities provide healthy food, nutrition education, and other ancillary services to food-insecure individuals managing nutrition-related chronic health conditions. This commitment ensures that a significant portion of their distributions (e.g., over 40% fruits and vegetables) are high-quality, nutritious items.

3. Direct Service and Community Resources:

   • Roadrunner Food Bank's Pantry and More: Operating a direct service center adjacent to their Albuquerque warehouse, this center offers not only food assistance but also wrap-around services to address other socio-economic needs, aiming to promote greater self-sufficiency.
   • Gap Food Distributions: Roadrunner staff operate distributions in underserved communities, often timed to address specific needs, such as holiday distributions or summer distributions for families with school-aged children.
   • SNAP Application Assistance: They assist qualifying families in applying for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, and during this process, also help applicants connect with other public benefits they may qualify for, such as Medicaid and the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).
   • Disaster Relief: Roadrunner Food Bank is often called upon to provide food and water to communities affected by natural disasters, leveraging its infrastructure and network for rapid response.

Impact and Community Engagement:

Roadrunner Food Bank's impact is quantifiable and profound. Annually, they distribute tens of millions of pounds of food, equating to millions of meals for hungry New Mexicans. In recent years, they've distributed nearly 60 million pounds of food, serving tens of thousands of hungry individuals every week across the state. The organization prides itself on its high efficiency, with a significant portion of every dollar donated directly funding food distribution.

Their work is made possible by the collective efforts of:

• Financial Donors: Private individuals, corporations, and foundations provide the crucial funds that enable the food bank to source and acquire food.
• Food Donors: Food industry partners, grocers, and community food drives contribute millions of pounds of rescued food, preventing waste and feeding those in need.
• Volunteers: Thousands of volunteers dedicate their time to sorting and packing food in the warehouse, assisting at distribution sites, and providing administrative support. Their contributions represent significant savings in labor costs, allowing more resources to be directed to programs.
• Advocates: Roadrunner Food Bank encourages individuals to lend their voice and advocate for policies that impact neighbors struggling with hunger, recognizing that systemic change is vital.

Roadrunner Food Bank's commitment to accountability, integrity, and unity, combined with its strategic approach to hunger relief, positions it as a vital institution in New Mexico. By "Solving Hunger Together," they work tirelessly towards a future where food insecurity is a thing of the past for all New Mexicans, ensuring that children, seniors, families, the disabled, and veterans all have reliable access to the nourishment they need to thrive.