WIXLIB

PAG E 10 – W W W.T H E F O O D D E P O T. O R GP A G E 11Board Member Reflectson Pandemic ResponseSpeak Out:Kristi Leigh SalazarAs a New Mexico native, I have seenour communities flourish, and havewitnessed the people support oneanother. I have seen the urgentneeds of our area, especially duringthis unprecedented time. Folks havelost their loved ones, their source ofincome, forcing local organizationsto stand up and step up.The Food Depot is one of manyorganizations that stepped forward,as they have continued to createhealthy, hunger-free communities innorthern New Mexico.I am proud to serve as aBoard Member of The FoodDepot, and support ourinitiatives to ensure food tothose in need during suchtumultuous times.Weekly emergency drive-throughfood distributions were enacted,service in all nine counties hascontinued, a safe working environment was established for staff andvolunteers and funds have beenraised to meet the heightened need.I am also proud to be an employeeof Del Norte Credit Union (DNCU), alocal not-for-profit financialAdvocacyKristi Leigh Salazar - Thank you for giving backto your community!institution whose mission is toimprove lives and provide ourmembers with financially soundadvice. DNCU has a long-standinghistory of giving back in supportof the well-being of ourcommunities, and is a longtimesupporter of The Food Depot.This partnership holds true to thecredit union philosophy of peoplehelping people.I am dually proud of my participationin continuing to strengthen therelationship between the two, asthey stand side by side during a timeof need.Kristi Leigh Salazar is an Españolanative, community outreachprofessional and a nonprofitvolunteer.CommitteeSomewhat behind the scenes of thewarehouse work but equally asimportant, The Food Depot’sAdvocacy Committee meets once amonth to review and take action onways to collaborate and educatemany about state and nationalpolicies that affect New Mexicans.The committee works tirelessly on anumber of issues.The Advocacy Committee is made ofseveral community members acrossthe state, Board of Directors fromThe Food Depot, and otherprofessionals who have a passion forhunger-relief work.Some ongoing and priortopics include: Child andsenior hunger, agricultureand infrastructure, andfood waste.The upcoming New Mexico LegislativeSession will begin on Tuesday, Jan.18, and close on Feb. 17 with manyimportant topics during the session.Follow The Food Depot’s AdvocacyCommittee’s work at www.thefooddepot.org/advocate for thelatest issues that you can support byreaching out to your representatives.Join the effortSupporting hunger-relief efforts canbe as simple as writing a letter to theeditor to your local newspapers,calling your elected representativesor telling your colleagues aboutcurrent issues.There are different levels of supportyou can provide depending on yourschedule.Reach out to info@thefooddepot.org. You can tell us your contactpreferences and we’ll keep youupdated on time-sensitive issues thatcan be addressed by a phone call,email or other appropriate action.

PA G E 12 – W W W.T H E F O O D D E P O T. O R GPA G E 13A Passion for Ending HungerSherry Hooper – How Volunteeringled to a Pivot in Career PathsSherry Hooper had dreams of goingto law school. Sometimes, dreamscan change into a better path thanimagined. “I was volunteering atHarvesters Food Bank (Kansas City)and fell in love with food banking,”Hooper said in a recent interview.Northern New Mexicans and beyondhave benefitted from this love.Hooper recently celebratedher 20th anniversary at TheFood Depot and 30 years infood banking.When she came to Santa Fe andThe Food Depot, she had a staff offive. She redirected the nonprofit’senergy to more traditional foodbanking where they focused onassisting other nonprofits in theservice area. This shift allowed theorganization to use resources whereneeded the most.Leading a food bank with a servicearea of more than 26,000 squaremiles (including many ruralcommunities) can have its challenges.Hooper stated that reaching peoplein need in rural communities hasbeen one of the greatest obstaclesduring her time at The Food Depot,Volunteers cheer at the grand opening of the warehouse expansion,including new volunteer project space in 2017.Executive director Sherry Hooper speaks atthe Food Mobile launch in Cerrillos earlierthis year. The Food Mobile, a renovatedBookmobile, was a project years in themaking, with Sherry and staff making it areality in 2021.along with educating New Mexicansoutside of Santa Fe about theseverity of hunger.Hooper set big goals and went towork developing relationships withother food banks, includingRoadrunner in Albuquerque to leanon for support. Sherry alsodeveloped and strengthenedrelationships with businesses,foundations and food donors.“I am proud of the relationshipsdeveloped and partners brought tothe hunger-relief network over theyears,” Hooper said.Thinking outside the box for newsolutions and bringing as manypartners to the table has always beenimportant in her hunger-relief work.“Food banks are highly collaborativeorganizations. We are so fortunate tohave such strong community allies,”Hooper said.Fast-forward to 2021: multiple newprograms to meet food gaps incommunities, a staff of 43 in multiplecounties, and a fleet of vehicles todistribute food. Sherry has built afood banking foundation that willbenefit northern New Mexicans foryears to come.groups including the Northern NewMexico Chapter of VoluntaryOrganizations Active in Disaster. Shecurrently serves as the president ofthe New Mexico Association of FoodBanks, is a member of the Board ofDirectors for the Santa Fe Chamber ofCommerce, and committees for TheFood Depot: operations, advocacy,finance and the executivecommittees.Read more at The Food Depot’s blog atthefooddepot.org.Community CollaboratorSherry is quick to share her time andexpertise outside of The Food Depotas well. She co-founded the Santa FeFood Policy Council, and has servedon numerous boards, councils andThe Inaugural Canstruction Santa Fe eventin 2015 at Santa Fe Place Mall where thesculpture "Zozobra Can Do" premiered. Sherrywas instrumental in bringing the Canstructionevent to Santa Fe, where teams buildsculptures out of cans of food.

PA G E 14 – W W W.T H E F O O D D E P O T. O R GPA G E 15Kids Kitchen and Food 4 Kids:Two Approaches to Feeding YouthIn The Food Depot’s service area ofnine counties in northern NewMexico, 23 percent of children arefood insecure –12,563 kidsexperience hunger. In Santa FeCounty 5,708 children are living withfood insecurity. The Food Depot isoperating two programs specificallydesigned to serve children andtheir families: Kids Kitchen andFood 4 Kids.Kids KitchenSchool is back in session, and TheFood Depot’s Kids Kitchen haspartnered with 18 schools andafterschool programs to providefree meals to thousands ofstudents ages 5- to 18-years-old.Kids Kitchen is a program of TheFood Depot, and participates in thefederal Child and Adult Care FoodProgram (CACFP), which worksnationally to provide childrennutritious food that gives them theenergy they need to concentrate onhomework and join their friends inphysical, educational and socialactivities.Staff members of Kids Kitchenrecently shared their thoughts on theprogram: “The best thing about thiswork is knowing I am contributing toFresh, Healthy Meals for Santa Fe’s Childrennot only feeding children, but alsoknowing I am contributing toinstilling in them a life-longappreciation and palate for healthyfood,” Russell Johnson, executivechef for Kids Kitchen said. “I loveknowing the children of thecommunity (even my own) arereceiving healthy meals which helpswith their future in so manypromising ways,” Tori Mendes,Kids Kitchen Business and FinanceCoordinator said.An example of one of the fresh meals served inthe Kids Kitchen program.Currently, Kids Kitchen delivers to18 sites in Santa Fe, including 15public schools and three Boys andGirls Club locations. It is madepossible by a broad team ofvolunteers and organizations. Thankyou to the many involved that makethis program possible.Social EnterpriseThe social enterprise arm of KidsKitchen generates additional fundingby serving as a contracted vendor forcampus meals at six locations inSanta Fe, offering an average of6,390 meals a week.Notes from the HeartA special thank you to volunteerRae Domenico. She designs andprints the motivational notesthat go out in each of the KidsKitchen meals. This effort isgreatly appreciated to give themeals a special touch.Olivia Miramontes, left, and Joel Villegasprepare meals Monday through Friday fordistribution through the Kids Kitchen program.

PAG E 16 – W W W.T H E F O O D D E P O T. O R GP A G E 17Continued .Kids Kitchen and Food 4 Kids: Two Approaches to Feeding Youthd with the FoodaoM o b ileOn the RFood 4 KidsThe Food 4 Kids program continues in Santa Fe and Pojoaquethrough 13 school-based pantries.Partners dedicate physical space andmaintain an inventory of groceryitems that can be accessed bychildren and/or their families on aregular basis. When possible, thespace includes cold storage in orderfor clients to receive perishable itemsincluding produce, dairy and meat.These items are in addition to pantrystaples for the family.Community in Schools and PojoaqueValley High School have beenimportant partners in this programand helping families experiencingfood insecurity access nutritious andhealthy food.The Food Depot estimates there willbe 700 families per month servedthrough this program and hopes tostrategically expand the programin the coming months in northernNew Mexico.Distributing Food to the GreaterSanta Fe CommunityWhen a client arrives, they will fillout a menu with that distribution’sofferings which could include:fresh produce, eggs, meat, dairy,bread, non-perishables and assortedready-to-eat meals.Agency CapacityA top priority of The Food Depot is tocontinually help our communitypartners increase capacity. Somepartners have requested thefollowing items to develop theirhunger-relief services: Commercial deep fryer (1) Small commercial kitchen equipmentSmall food truck (1)Outside heaters that uses 120 Voltconnection (2)Refrigerators w/ freezers (10)Deep freezer (2)Large commercial refrigerator (3)Wire shelving (4)Computer (2) (within 5 years old)All items need to be in good workingorder and fully usable. Donations willgo directly to our communitypartners – either partner agencies orschool-based pantries in our servicearea. Email info@thefooddepot.orgif you would like to donate.Jerome Sanchez, left, and David Sanchez,right, prepare bags of food at a recent FoodMobile distribution in Cerrillos.The Food Depot launched the newFood Mobile in July 2021. Sincethen, it has been frequently on theroad in the greater Santa Fe area.By the end of 2021, the Food Mobilewill have completed 30 fooddistributions.A renovated Bookmobile, the FoodMobile brings fresh foods to peoplein their communities, eliminatingmore of the barriers to accessingfood. This type of food distributionalso allows people receiving foodthe option to choose what type offood they want to take home.Food Mobile distribution includes menus forclients to choose from a selection of availableitems. The preferred option is typicallyeverything, meaning all available options,indicated by circling the center of the platediagram.Program donations areaccepted atthefooddepot.org andThe Food Depot is alwayslooking for volunteersto join the team.Start your application atvolunteer.thefooddepot.org.

PAG E 18 – W W W.T H E F O O D D E P O T. O R GPA G E 19WELCOMEto the TEAMStaff ProfilesWhen Wayne is not at work, he staysbusy accomplishing everyday tasksthat can’t be done in just one day.Wayne loves to share his passion forarts and crafts with students,something he’s been doing for morethan 10 years. “I am a drum makerand it requires a lot of quality time,”Wayne recently wrote. He enjoysgiving attention to friends and familyand is very outgoing. Welcome to theteam, Wayne!WAYNE MARTIN Warehouse CoordinatorWayne Martin recently joined TheFood Depot as a warehousecoordinator. Wayne is from CochitiPueblo, but lives in Santa Fe.He describes his job as “tohelp others in need get helpto get them back on track.”A typical day for Wayne is being verybusy prepping food for delivery. Helikes helping others and in hisopinion The Food Depot is a big partof helping people. He enjoys hisposition at the warehouse very much.MARIA SANCHEZ - WarehouseMaintenance CoordinatorMaria Sanchez joined The FoodDepot team about four months agoas the warehouse maintenancecoordinator.Maria is responsible for cleaning anddisinfecting many common areas ofthe building to keep staff andvolunteers safe. She keeps theportable coolers clean for the KidsKitchen program and the cooler areain the warehouse. She also maintainsthe donated flower supply tobrighten the day of the volunteersand staff.Maria wanted to join The FoodDepot team to help the communityand end hunger.Maria is from Chihuahua, Mexico.When not working, Maria enjoyswatching action movies. She enjoys agood mani-pedi to relax. Spendingtime at the park with her twogranddaughters and two grandsonsbrings her a lot of joy, and takingthem to get their favorite chocolateand strawberry ice cream. Welcometo the team, Maria!BILLIE SECULAR Program CoordinatorBillie Secular was born and raisedin Santa Fe. She initially joined TheFood Depot team as the temporaryvolunteer coordinator in the midstof the pandemic, and was promotedto the permanent, full-time programcoordinator in August 2021.“I was invigorated by the socialand environmental ramifications ofhunger-relief as anti-poverty work.I saw the need both locally andglobally, and I wanted to be a partof working towards a solution,”Secular said.Her responsibilities at The FoodDepot can include a variety oftasks from coordinating the evergrowing number of programs andevaluating their impact, to visitingfood distribution sites, assistingthe operations department withlogistics, gathering materialsfor compliance and fosteringpartnerships with communityorganizations. In a nutshell,Secular describes her day as“communicating with teammatesand various stakeholders to ensurepeople can access quality, nutritiousfood with dignity.”When not coordinating the manydetails of the programs department,Secular stays busy. A creative atheart, she enjoys experimentingwith movement, and recharges bywriting, playing chess, cooking,and exploring the vast surroundinglandscape. Time invested withher partner, two cats, family, andcommunity bring her “great joy”.Welcome to the team, Billie!

PAG E 20 – W W W.T H E F O O D D E P O T. O R GPAG E 21Neighbor to Neighbor Fund Drive CollectsRecord Donations!Neighbor toNeighborFund DriveLastly, our congratulations go to theNeighbor to Neighbor Fund Driveorganizing team: Linda Wilder Flatt,Jane Freeman, Therese Prada, MaryFerguson, Melinda Price, SusanQuintana and Gail Rachor.Breaking Their Fundraising GoalsReturning for the 10th year, the 2021Neighbor to Neighbor Fund Drivecelebrates both an anniversary andbreaking their fundraising goals.With donations from 139neighborhoods and organizationsthe Neighbor to Neighbor team went9 percent above and beyond theirgoal raising 201,428.99!Neighbor to Neighbor founder and volunteerLinda Wilder Flatt, center, celebrates thewinners of this year's event with her organizingteam during the awards video. Watch the fullvideo at: SESLEVEL 1: 1-35 HouseholdsSmall 1-10 employeesFirst place: 800 East, 5,825; 29,125 lbs.Second place: Ferguson Acres, 2,200;11,000 lbs.All Level 1 neighborhoods total: 16,905; 84,525 lbs.First Place: Pak Mail, 4,820; 24,100 lbs.Second place: TOKo Santa Fe, 1,100;5,500 lbs.All small businesses total: 7,720; 38,600 lbs.Level 2: 36-75 HouseholdsMedium 11-50 employeesFirst place: Las Lomas, 13,415; 67,075 lbs.Second place: Vista Encantada, 9,155;45,755 lbs.All Level 2 neighborhoods total: 34,930; 174,650 lbs.First place: FedEx, 1,300; 6,500 lbs.Second place: New Mexico Bank & Trust, 624; 3,120 lbs.All medium businesses total: 2,474; 12,370 lbs.Level 3: 76-200 HouseholdsLarge 51-1,000 employeesFirst place: Sierra del Norte, 30,655;153,275 lbs.Second place: La Tierra, 11,895; 59,475 lbs.All Level 3 neighborhoods total: 67,323; 336,615 lbs.First place: NM Human Service, 435;2,175 lbs.Level 4: 201-400 HouseholdsFirst place: La Entrada at Rancho Viejo, 2,990; 14,950 lbs.Second place: Quail Run, 2,850; 14,250 lbs.All Level 4 neighborhoods total: 11,518; 57,590 lbs.That is equivalent to over1 million pounds of food,or 805,716 meals!Volunteers across Santa Fe, LosAlamos, Rio Arriba and Colfaxcounties, posted signs and ralliedtheir neighbors to donate to TheFood Depot.Level 5: 401-675 HouseholdsThanks go to the Neighbor toNeighbor sponsors: the City andCounty of Santa Fe, Colfax, LosAlamos and Rio Arriba counties,Hutton Broadcasting, KDCE Radio,KSWV Radio and The Santa Fe NewMexican for their support.Level 6: 676-1000 HouseholdsFirst place: Candlelight, 10,450; 51,875 lbs.Second place: Tesuque, 6,375; 31,875 lbs.All Level 5 neighborhoods total: 28,960; 144,800 lbs.The Neighbor to Neighbor FundDrive Grand Place Winner:Sierra del Norte 30,655; 153,275 lbs.First place: Eldorado, 4,765; 23,825 lbs.Second place: Las Campanas, 2,700;13,750 lbs.All Level 6 neighborhoods total: 10,415; 51,575 lbs.COMMUNITY GROUPSFirst place: Book Lovers, 1,250; 6,250 lbs.Second place: Nambé Book Club,Española, 940; 4,700 lbs.All community groups total: 3,465; 17,325 lbs.SENIOR LIVING COMMUNITIESFirst place: The Montecito, 4,015;20,075 lbs.Second place: El Castillo, 350; 1,750 lbs.All senior living communities total: 4,465; 22,325 lbs.SCHOOLSFirst place: St. Michael’s High School, 1,000; 5,000 lbs.Second place: Pojoaque High School, 500; 2,500 lbs.All schools total: 1,811; 9,055 lbs.

PAG E 22 – W W W.T H E F O O D D E P O T. O R GPAG E 23Looking Forwardto 2022TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2021As the pandemic stretched in 2021,The Food Depot continued toevaluate operations, programs andlogistics in its communities acrossnine counties in northern NewMexico. Food insecurity has neverhad one single solution, but nowmore than ever has the importanceof wraparound services been moreclear.In 2020, The Food Depot, along withits partners in hunger relief,distributed 12.6 million pounds offood – more than double itsdistribution in 2019.The Food Depot is proud that 44percent was fruits and vegetablesand 24 percent was protein sources.The work continues, evaluatingpartners and logistics, to improvethese numbers even more withhealthy and fresh food as atop priority.There are so many that continue toexperience food insecurity in anunstable economy. The Food Depotwill be here for those who needemergency food assistance, inaddition to linking them with arearesources like in the CONNECTnetwork when possible. This willallow individuals and families to nolonger need the services of TheFood Depot.GivingTuesday is an internationalday of giving to causes a person ispassionate about in any way that isappropriate for them. Whether it isvolunteering, spreading the wordabout a cause through advocatingor supporti

counselor, a sober coach, a EMT, a ski patroller and a manager at several Harley-Davidson dealerships. Star bought her first Harley in 2010, and has ridden all over the U.S. on motorcycle trips. When Star isn't studying and taking care of her family, she enjoys camping, hiking, kayaking, skiing and gardening. Star and her husband are working