Hungry people come from all walks of life. Meet David — a firefighter for 15 years until he broke his back a couple years ago. Unable to work, he depends on his monthly disability to support himself and his 13-year-old son. He barely affords his rent and his food situation is grim.

“By the middle of the month, my son and I are often out of food,” David said. “Until I heard about your mobile food pantry, we really had nowhere else to turn. Thank you for providing this food. It arrived just in time.”

David’s story isn’t unusual in New Mexico. In fact, Feeding America’s latest Map the Meal Gap report was released in April 2014. It showed New Mexico ranked number one for childhood hunger among all U.S. States and number four for hunger overall (www.feedingamerica.org/mapthegap).

When a person like David experiences hunger, they cut more costly food items or food items that may not last as long from their monthly food budget. Often what is cut includes healthier nutritious items such as produce.

Hungry people have told us some of the only produce they receive is from Roadrunner Food Bank’s network of partners food pantries, soup kitchens and meal programs located across the vast state. Through this network nearly 40,000 New Mexico residents are helped with food every week.

One woman in line at a food distribution said to our staff, “This is the first salad I’ve eaten in 12 years. I don’t have money to afford food like produce.” For her, produce is a luxury.

However, through the relationships we have built with food partners across the state, we can bring healthier food options like produce to hungry people like David. Last year, we brought in more than 9.2 million pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables. This is because of the generosity and partnership of our food donors. Let me tell you about some of them.

Navajo Agricultural Products Industries is based in Farmington, NM. They have about 72,000 acres under cultivation annually. What you don’t realize is what they donate in terms of produce to hunger relief organizations like Roadrunner Food Bank.

NAPI has been a partner and donor of the Food Bank for many years continuing their generosity and helping us change the story for so many vulnerable people in our state. During their 2013-14 potato season, they contributed more than one million pounds of potatoes. That may be just a number to most of us, but for a hungry person or family it represents an important source of food that turns into part of a meal.

Five food banks in New Mexico see to it that NAPI’s donated produce reaches every single county in the state and makes it into the homes of nearly 40,000 hungry New Mexico residents each week.

“Navajo Agricultural Products Industry is proud to support the work of Roadrunner Food Bank,” said Jeremiah Powless, NAPI’s national sales representative. “Through their distribution network including food pantries and other meal programs, families in need are getting access to life-changing meals. Plus, the Food Bank has long supported Native American families and individuals with food assistance. We look forward to continuing to work to supply produce donations to Roadrunner Food Bank well into the future.”

NAPI is just one example of hundreds of companies, farms, ranches, grocers and others in the food industry providing food to charitable food organizations in our state and allowing us to rescue more than 19-million pounds of food for re-distribution.

Other top New Mexico-owned produce companies include Barker Produce located in southwestern New Mexico. Last year, they provided the Food Bank with more than 490,000 pounds of onions.

Another top local donor includes J & D Produce and Morrow Farms in Deming, NM. Last year, they contributed 100,000 pounds of locally grown produce for the purpose of supplying food to New Mexico’s hungry.

Together these partners are helping us solve hunger.

What is amazing is these companies have made donating food part of their everyday operation. They give when they can and go above and beyond to make sure giving is part of their corporate culture.

“These partnerships are perfect examples of how New Mexicans come together to make a difference for the broader community,” said New Mexico Secretary of Agriculture Jeff Witte. “I commend NAPI, Barker Produce, J & D Produce and Morrow Farms for their generosity, and I encourage other farms and ranches in the state to consider how they, too, can partner with Roadrunner Food Bank.”

For more information about Roadrunner Food Bank’s Food Rescue Program, visit www.rrfb.org/foodrescue or contact Julie Anderson at 505.349.8933 or [email protected].