Food Bank News

Food Bank Launches New MOBILE FOOD PANTRY

Roadrunner Food Bank has launched a new initiative called the Mobile Food Pantry.    The Mobile Food Pantry is a traveling food pantry that delivers nutritious and much needed food directly to hungry people.  A tractor and refrigerated trailer can bring food to communities and areas that may not have access to food support programs or where food pantries or feeding programs do not exist.

A ceremony was held on Tuesday, June 17, 2008 for donors who helped fund the Mobile Food Pantry.  Lieutenant Governor Diane Denish joined attendees of the celebratory event.  She said, “It is wrong for anyone to be hungry in one of the wealthiest nations in the world, but it is a reality.  Roadrunner Food Bank, along with its many volunteers and donors, literally puts food on the tables of those who might otherwise do without.”  Denish also said, “Without the kindness and motivation of the people at Roadrunner Food Bank many would go hungry.  That can mark the difference between life and death.”

L to R: Melody Wattenbarger, Executive Director Roadrunner Food Bank, New Mexico Lieutenant Governor Diane Denish, Lydia Ashanin, Roadrunner Food Bank Board Chair, sponsor Alfonso Trujillo of Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Mexico

The public launch took place on Wednesday, June 18 where members of the media were invited to follow the Mobile Pantry to its first two delivery locations.  The first delivery was held at Pajarito Mesa Community Church of the Nazarene and the second delivery was held at the Corrales Seventh-day Adventist Church.  Approximately 5600 pounds of food was distributed to hungry families.

 

Melody Wattenbarger, Executive Director at Roadrunner Food Bank said, “The Mobile Food Pantry is important for our large rural state and essential to the growing numbers of working poor.  Communities and areas that do not have access to food programs such as food pantries and soup kitchens now can rely on the Mobile Food Pantry to bring fresh produce and staple foods directly to people who are hungry and have nowhere else to turn for food.”

The Mobile Food Pantry is available to communities in nine New Mexico counties including Bernalillo, Catron, Chaves, Eddy, Lincoln, Sandoval, Socorro, Torrance and Valencia. Groups, businesses and individuals are invited to sponsor one or more Mobile Food Pantry sites.  Wattenbarger continued, “Scheduling the Mobile Pantry is easy.  A sponsoring organization simply has to find a location with good parking in their community, let the community know it is arriving, and find volunteers to help distribute the food.  Roadrunner Food Bank takes care of getting it to the community in need.”

We say THANK YOU to the following donors who contributed to the operational and equipment needs to start the program:

Albuquerque Community Foundation	New Mexico Mutual
Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Mexico	PNM Foundation
Hancock Foundation	Rotary Del Norte Foundation
MS Doss Foundation	Sandia Foundation
Smith’s Food and Drug Stores
L to R: Lieutenant Governor Diane Denish, Randy Royster, Executive Director of sponsor Albuquerque Community Foundation, and Melody Wattenbarger, Executive Director of Roadrunner Food Bank.

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Past Events

ANNUAL BOXING OLYMPICS WINNERS ANNOUNCED

Albuquerque, NM - June 9, 2008 – The Roadrunner Food Bank Annual Boxing Olympics were held on June 5 to support the Senior Helpings Program.  During the event, teams competed to fill the most boxes throughout the morning long event.  The top teams included first place winner Don Chalmers Ford who packed 57 boxes, followed by second place winner Wal-Mart store #3731 in Bernalillo, and a tie for third place between Northwestern Mutual Financial Network and Sandia National Laboratories.

 

Throughout the morning, teams competed in ten-minute heats to help fill food boxes that benefit low-income seniors in New Mexico.  In approximately three hours, 1458 boxes were filled for needy seniors.  The event featured nine heats with more than 31 teams of six to eight individuals participating.

Also during the event, Wal-Mart presented a $75,000 check to Roadrunner Food Bank for the benefit of the Senior Helpings Program.  The gift is a multi-year commitment by Wal-Mart to help Roadrunner Food Bank provide food to needy seniors.  The program distributes 1,200 boxes every month to seniors in need.

 

Melody Wattenbarger, Executive Director at Roadrunner Food Bank said, “Poor seniors in New Mexico are choosing between paying for medicine, rent and food.  We are continuing to see an increase in the number of seniors who need assistance through programs such as our Senior Helpings Program.  Through philanthropic partners such as Wal-Mart we can continue our support to seniors who are hungry.”

 

The event began with an initial heat of mascots representing local sports teams such as Lucy Lobo, Orbit, Stanley, Trey, and corporate groups such as Jack the Dog from Wells Fargo, McGruff the Crime Dog from APD, and Blue Bear from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico.  Lucy Lobo was this year’s winner of the mascot heat which was a fun-filled way to kick off the competitive heats.

 

For more information on the Senior Helpings Program send an EMAIL to Art Fine, Program Director.

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Upcoming Events

Fifth Annual Chefs Auction

 

Sunday, August 17, 2008 – save the date for New Mexico’s Fifth Annual Chefs Auction from 4:00pm – 7:00pm at the Albuquerque Hilton Hotel.  This year, 20 of the area’s finest chefs will be auctioned off to prepare a dinner for four in the winning bidder’s home.  Tickets cost $40 each in advance or $55 at the door. 

 

A portion of the proceeds will be donated to this year’s exclusive charity – Roadrunner Food Bank.

 

For tickets, please contact:

 

Daniel Gilpatrick		Robert Vick
Telephone:	505-343-2221	Telephone:	505-250-3868
Email:	daniel.gilpatrick@usfoods.com	FAX:	505-853-4692
		Mail:	IFSEA ICO/Vick’s Vittles 137 Utah NE Albuquerque, NM  87108

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Food Bank News

Food Bank Launches "Stick A Fork In Hunger" Campaign

Advertising and PR powerhouse DW Turner has teamed up with Roadrunner Food Bank to produce a multi-media campaign to raise awareness of hunger in New Mexico.  The campaign is called "Stick A Fork In Hunger" and it includes attention-grabbing TV spots, billboards and a website called stickaforkinhunger.com. 

The "Stick A Fork In Hunger" campaign uses vignettes and images to portray real-world stories of everyday people in situations that lead to hunger.  At the end of each message, the call to action drives individuals to the website where they find information on the problem of hunger in New Mexico, food banks in their area, and ways to help end hunger including how to volunteer, advocate or donate.

DW Turner began developing the campaign, pro-bono, last summer after they came to us with an offer to help.  "This partnership provided an incredible opportunity to apply top-notch advertising creativity to a difficult message," said Melody Wattenbarger, executive director of Roadrunner Food Bank.  "We agreed from the start that the message should not shy away from the harsh reality of who is hungry."  She continues, "I think DW Turner has created something that will have a huge impact, not just in Albuquerque, but beyond."

DW Turner garnered the services of the most talented people available to work on the campaign for free.  Actor Jeff Bridges provides the voiceovers, Halflife Digital came through with filming, lighting, editing, lenses, sound, and even the music score.  More than a dozen volunteers gave their time as models and actors.  Local companies offered their sites as film locations.  Comcast Cable is running more than 300 showings of the four TV spots between now and July.  ClearChannel Outdoor is providing billboard space for up to a year in Albuquerque for ten billboard images. 

Roadrunner Food Bank is offering use of the campaign to other food banks around the state, and even around the country.  "This campaign is really about hunger, not just Roadrunner Food Bank," said Wattenbarger.  "We would be thrilled if other hunger relief agencies put their logo on it and found partners to run it in their areas like we have here in Albuquerque."

To learn about the campaign, and the many people who made it possible, please visit the web site HERE.

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Hunger Information

Hunger In New Mexico Videos Now Online

Want to know more about hunger in our state? 

We've made videos that help to explain the growing problem of hunger and poverty right here in New Mexico.  Meet the people who are working to feed our hungry citizens every day and hear the stories of those who find themselves in need.

As we go about our daily lives, we see hungry people everyday without realizing it.  It is a problem that hides in plain sight.     SEE THE VIDEOS >>>

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