Nonprofit Food Pantries and Agencies

The largest group of non-profit entities we work with in the state is our Member Partner Network. Made up of over 500 different organizations, this network allows us to distribute food to those who need it most throughout the state. These organizations come in many different shapes and sizes, including:

• Food pantries
• Soup kitchens
• Meal programs
• Schools
• Senior citizen centers and housing sites
• Churches and religious organizations

Each of these non-profit partner organizations is committed to serving low-income or at-risk populations. We deliver food from our distribution center in Albuquerque to our member partner locations throughout New Mexico.  Food in our warehouse get where it needs to go through a our fleet of tractor trailers and box trucks.  Our member partner organizations either make meals on site to feed their communities, provide the food directly to families and individuals in need while opening their doors to allow food-insecure people to get what they need.

Food Waste Reduction Partners

While most of our food rescue partners are for profit entities that donate food to us, many non-profit partners help us with unused food in order to reduce waste from our warehouse. In the U.S., 30-40 percent of the food Americans buy goes uneaten and wasted. Most of this food ends up in landfills, but Roadrunner Food Bank rescues the food that is still perfectly safe to eat to provide to our nonprofit partners in our distribution network.

Some of the unused or inedible food is composted and recycled and some is picked up to be used as animal food at local pig farms and other nonprofit partners including:

• Wildlife West Nature Park — To provide protein items that various animals at their locations need to maintain a healthy diet.
• Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary — We work with this wolf sanctuary in Ramah, NM to supply them with beef, chicken, pork, and others to supplement the diet of their rehabilitated timber wolf population.

Advocacy with Nonprofit Groups

At Roadrunner Food Bank, we understand that simply providing food to the hungry is not the end of the story for most of our clients. Poverty, accessibility, and other issues are important aspects of food insecurity. Many of these issues can be alleviated through government advocacy and education at every level of our legal system. We partner with a variety of non-profit entities to advocate for our communities including:

• Thrive New Mexico
• New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty
• New Mexico Voices for Children
• New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness

Disaster Response with Nonprofit Partners

We partner with the National Association of Voluntary Organizations (NVOAD) in New Mexico during disaster relief and response efforts. During times of crisis, we provide food to areas that have been hit by natural disasters or other widespread catastrophes. NVOAD helps us to organize getting the food where it is most needed during these difficult times.

Health and Wellness Nonprofit Partners

As part of our commitment to provide healthy and nutritious food to hungry people in New Mexico, we partner with many nonprofit organizations in our Health and Wellness Initiative. The programs in this initiative focus on how healthy, nutritious food contributes to overall well being, including reducing symptoms caused by chronic illnesses like diabetes and high blood pressure. Some of our partners in health and wellness include:

• Higher Education Nonprofits — Universities work with us to provide healthy food education to at-risk populations, such as cooking classes and access to nutrition experts or dietitians. In addition, we supply food to many higher education organizations to assist college student facing hunger.
• Healthcare Organizations — We work with clinics, physician groups, and healthcare providers of all sizes to help bring healthy food to those who need it most. This includes initiatives to deliver food to clinic sites and programs where physicians refer patients to certain programs for fruit and vegetables.

Click here for ways you can help Roadrunner Food Bank continue its missions to solve hunger in our state efficiently.