food insecurity

Experts say food insecurity in the Land of Enchantment has been on the rise, with food banks seeing a 40% to 60% increase in demand all while federal contributions to food assistance programs has been cut and 25,000 people, including 13,000 children, lost their SNAP coverage, putting more strain on the food bank network.

As funding cuts to federal food programs trickle down to New Mexico communities, volunteers are seeing the strain.

As summer break gets underway, thousands of New Mexico children may lose access to school meals. New Mexico is once again offering a federally funded program to help ensure that kids have enough to eat.

As new work requirements take effect for federal food assistance, following uncertainty created by the lengthy government shutdown late last year, a Santa Fe-based organization is expanding its work providing free meals.

As we head into the holiday season, the state and several food banks have partnered to relaunch a program that makes it easy to donate large wild game meat to feed the needy.

U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury paid a visit to the University of New Mexico’s Lobo Food Pantry Thursday afternoon, as part of a larger tour of food banks around her district. She’s been speaking with staff, touring facilities and finding out what they most need. According to the latest basic needs assessment, 58% of UNM students experience some sort of food insecurity.

This week on Let’s Talk New Mexico we’re discussing all things food insecurity in New Mexico, including the overarching causes and necessary changes.

A list of resources around New Mexico for those who need assistance in the wake of the ongoing government shutdown and disruption in SNAP benefits.

New Mexico’s federal lawmakers are pushing bills aimed at bankrolling food assistance, which is set to stop Saturday amidst the ongoing government shutdown. U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Lujan and U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury, both Democrats, are sponsoring bills aimed at stopping that, and said both the money and the votes are there.

With federal cuts to food assistance already hitting states, and even more coming down the line, the Legislative Finance Committee told state lawmakers that high rates of food insecurity will likely get worse in New Mexico.