Many ways to help those in need during the holidays

Every year, the Las Cruces Bulletin publishes a series of stories on ways to help those in need in Las Cruces and Doña Ana County. The series will include many nonprofits that would welcome your donations of money, food, clothing and other items, and also your time as a volunteer.

• Casa de Peregrinos emergency food program (CdP) helps food-insecure families in Doña Ana County. Donations to “Hope for the Holidays,” presented by Tawney, Acosta, and Chaparro Injury Attorneys, can be made via CasaDePeregrinos.org or mail/take donations to Casa de Peregrinos, 999 W. Amador Ave., Building 1, Las Cruces, N.M., 88005. Call 575-523-5542 or email cdplascruces@gmail.com. Donations: 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. Food assistance: 9-11 a.m./1-3 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Friday; bring an ID and recent proof of address. Volunteers are needed. $50 provides 225 meals, $100 feeds an average family for a month. Since 2019 CdP has provided 17.4 million meals to more than 30,000 annual clients. CdP provides food at 28 county locations, including the Las Cruces pantry and 13 mobile food pantries. In FY23, CdP provided 3.5 million meals (2021: 4.22M, 2020: 3.934M, 2019: 2M), 53,632 food baskets (2021: 41,479, 2020: 52,079, 2019: 39,710). CdP’s 2023 Hunger Strike fundraiser raised $20,000 (2022: $75,000, 2021: $51,000, 2020: $31,000). CdP was founded in 1979 by La Mesa, N.M. residents and Holy Cross Catholic Church parishioners.
• Aggie Cupboard is a free service (started 2012) that distributes food to NMSU/Doña Ana Community College students, staff, faculty; present current NMSU ID to qualify. Food distribution: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday, 3-6 p.m. Wednesday, or email aggiecupboard@nmsu.edu for an appointment. Take food donations to 906 Agriculture Way (formerly Gregg Street), NMSU, 9:30-11 a.m. Tuesday, 1-3 p.m. Thursday, or e-mail for appointment. Needed are canned chicken and tuna, peanut butter, soup, canned fruit and vegetables, cereal, evaporated milk, cooking oil, toiletries. Call 575-646-7636 or email. Donate at mas.nmsu.edu/project/6947, Aggie Cupboard at NMSU on Facebook. Aggie Cupboard served 134 unique clients making 363 visits May-July 2023, distributing 5,445 pounds of food. Pete’s Pantry in the Park served 304 clients and distributed 15,451 pounds of food. August-September 2023: Aggie Cupboard had 287 clients/492 visits. Pete’s Patry had 342 clients and distributed 13,236 pounds of food.
• Roadrunner Food Bank provides food to hundreds of partners in 16 New Mexico counties, including Doña Ana County. In New Mexico, one in five children, one in seven people overall is at risk of experiencing hunger. Cash donations help Roadrunner source, acquire, distribute food. In December, gifts are doubled up to $125,000 thanks to the Abram and Ray Kaplan Foundation, Jackalope and Smith's Food and Drug Stores. To donate, call 505-349-8909 or visit rrfb.org/match. Volunteers are needed for monthly food distributions in southern Doña Ana County and Sierra County; visit www.rrfb.org/volunteer or www.rrfb.org/cervis to register. For food assistance, call 575-523-4390 or visit www.rrfb.org/find-food to find a nearby distribution site. Help is available for applying for SNAP (food assistance) and other public benefits: 844-684-6268, snap@rrfb.org. Roadrunner, New Mexico’s largest hunger-relief organization, provides essential food to tens of thousands of children, adults, seniors every week through a statewide network of hunger-relief partners. Visit www.rrfb.org or email info@rrfb.org for more ways to get involved.