Government financial support to help people hit hard during the pandemic has gone a long way in helping people in northern New Mexico combat food anxiety.
But as KSFR’s Kevin Meerschaert reports, there are still a lot of people in need.
According to a recent survey by Hunger Free America, nearly 300,000 New Mexicans, including about one out of five children, experience food insecurity.
According to the Santa Fe-based Food Depot, about 40,000 people, including over 12,000 children, are experiencing hunger in the nine-county area they serve.
Food Depot Deputy Director Jill Dixon said they have seen a drop in need since the federal assistance to families began and communities began to open up since COVID cases began to fall.
“The spike in COVID cases by themselves wasn’t the cause of the economic fragility that led to the food insecurity," she said. "It was the corresponding shutdowns and restrictions on space and that kind of thing.”
Dixon says more closures due to a new surge in COVID could lead to more food insecurity but the good news is help will still be available and those in need will have access to services.