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Vegetables make up nearly 30% of the food and meals distributed by New Mexico's Roadrunner Food Bank. (Courtesy: RoadrunnerFoodBank).

Individuals, groups contribute thousands of volunteer hours to NM food bank

Volunteering is a "leap of faith" - donating time and in-kind support to help others who are struggling - but research shows people who pitch in…

Attendees at a New Mexico summit discuss how to help in a state ranked one of the most food-insecure in the nation. (Courtesy Roadrunner Food Bank)

SW food banks meet to brainstorm hunger solutions, create action plan

People who receive emergency food services from New Mexico food banks and other charitable organizations were among those at a strategic summit Friday…

In the United States, some 200 food banks feed more than 46 million people through food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and other community-based agencies. (Roadrunner Food Bank)

How hunger disproportionately impacts rural communities

Some 44 million Americans are struggling with hunger, including 250,000 in New Mexico, and a nationwide food bank network wants Congress to help…

The rate of New Mexico high school students not graduating on time was down from 33% a decade ago to 23% in 2019-2020. (Julie/Adobe Stock)

Report: New Mexico's child well-being slowly improving

Child well-being in New Mexico appears to be slowly improving with a marked decline in child poverty. Data from New Mexico Voices for Children found …

On average, the 20% of taxpayers who make the least money face a state and local tax rate nearly 60% higher than the top 1% of households, according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. (narawit/Adobe Stock)

NM child advocates seek more 'tax equity' from 2024 legislative session

It is no secret the majority of state and local tax systems favor the wealthy but New Mexico is making progress in turning it around. The latest …

Latinos account for 47% of agricultural field workers and 46% of construction laborers in the U.S. and face extreme summer heat threats due to climate change. (JackF/Adobe Stock)

Report: How climate change threatens Latinos' health and heritage

As climate change makes extreme weather events more common globally, Latinos often face the most significant effects to their health, safety…

A recent food and fund drive by Albuquerque's Corrales Elementary School raised $2,500 and collected more than 1,200 pounds of food. (Courtesy Roadrunner)

Hosting a food drive could be your best ever New Year's resolution

The new year is an opportunity to reset and presents an opportunity to give back to your community by hosting a food or fund drive. New Mexico's …

New Mexico aims for 'no hungry holidays' by doubling donations

Just a few days into December, food bank demand is high while some warehouse shelves are lean, and in New Mexico, a matching donation program this …

New Mexico lawmakers this year passed the Healthy Hunger-Free Students' Bill of Rights, which provides students free breakfast and lunch regardless of their income. (USDA)<br />

USDA unveils new alliance to strengthen school food procurement

As part of October's National Farm to School MonthNational Farm to School Month, the Department of Agriculture has announced a new effort to improve …

Albuquerque's ABQ RIDE bus program averages 500,000 users a month. (wiki)

ABQ's 'Zero Fares' pilot bus program on track to become permanent

Free buses may soon become a basic city service in Albuquerque. A vote to make a pilot "Zero Fares" rider program permanent is set to come before …

The number of Hispanic students enrolled in college increased by 45% between 2009 and 2019. (Antonio Tanaka/Adobe Stock)

Survey: Hispanic college students struggling more than others

The percentage of Hispanic college students who report they're struggling to stay in school increased 5% from 2021 to 2022, and was higher than for …

New Mexico's Healthy Foods Market, operated by Roadrunner Food Bank, distributes fresh produce and perishable food items monthly in nine urban, rural and tribal communities. (Photo courtesy RRFB)

New Mexico's Food Activists Shine Light on Hunger

The lines at hunger relief organizations are longer now as pandemic-related benefits have ended, but you can help your neighbors with grocery …

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has found trauma is present in almost every age, race, ability, and socioeconomic group. (MNStudios/Pixabay)

NM Teachers Have Tools to Ease 'Back to School' Transition

Since the pandemic, back-to-school season brings up a lot of emotions for parents and kids, and can be even harder for those affected by a school …

More than 70 million people live in areas of the United States with dentist shortages, according to dentalherapy.org. (Graphicroyalty/AdobeStock)

NM Remains Slow in Closing Dental Care Equity Gap

Dental care is vital to overall health, but finding and affording services is a challenge in many states - including New Mexico. Dental therapists…

New Mexico is one of only a few states to include immigrant tax filers who use their Individual Taxpayer Identification Number in filing for state and federal credits and rebates. (JoshuaResnick/Adobe Stock)

NM Aims to Promote Justice with Tax Rebates for Immigrant Workers

Tax rebates can boost economic growth, and the rebates available in New Mexico this summer are designed to reverse discriminatory exclusions of …

Emergency allotments added to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) during the pandemic have ended, increasing the number of food-insecure households. (Courtesy Roadrunner Food Bank)

NM Group Offers Families, Kids Summer Food Assistance

New Mexico kids on vacation from school are no longer queueing-up for cafeteria meals - and that can increase hunger for low-income children and their…

New Mexico used federal pandemic funds to expand child care assistance, which was replaced by state funding during the 2023 legislative session to prevent a reversal. (nmvoices.org)

NM Kids' Well-Being Falls Short; Child Advocates Expect Turnaround

New Mexico ranks last in a new report on kids' overall well-being by state, but children's advocates said the two-year-old data does not tell the …

The phenomenon called summer learning loss is notable in countries with lengthy breaks, including the United States and Canada. (AdobeStock/peopleimages.com)

NM's Schoolchildren Get Help Through 'Make Summer Fair' Program

Summer, with its 90-day break from school, can be fun but also a challenge for New Mexico's rural kids who rely on school for companionship and meals…

The New Mexico Legislature passed a bill this year to provide free IDs for individuals experiencing homelessness. (Seventyfour/AdobeStock)

Study: New Mexico Homelessness Up Nearly 50% in 2023

Rent for New Mexicans has increased 70% since 2017, while wages have only grown by 15%, which is one factor pushing more people into homelessness…

A report based on federal data shows New Mexico's rate of homelessness is 12 individuals per 10,000 people, compared with 18 per 10,000 nationwide - lower than neighboring Colorado, also at 18 per 10,000, but higher than Texas at eight per 10,000. (M-SUR/AdobeStock)

NM Homelessness Declines, But Rural Folks Face Barriers

In the past two years, homelessness in America has risen only 1%, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development - which …

Child poverty rates worsened nationwide in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, but improved slightly in New Mexico. (Rawpixel.com/AdobeStock)<br />

Report: NM Child Well-Being Fared Better Than Expected During Pandemic

New Mexico's Voices for Children has released its latest Kids Count Data Book - noting some quality-of-life improvements despite COVID, but also …

In a 2018 ruling, a state District Court judge found New Mexico was failing to prepare students equally for college and a career, specifically citing a lack of sufficient education for Native Americans. (AdobeStock/mmg1design)

NM's Boost in Early Education Funds Included in Federal Omnibus Bill

New Mexico voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot question in November to spend more money on early childhood education and public schools, and now …

When the 2023 legislative session convenes, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham says she'll push lawmakers to ensure all public school students get free school meals. (vejaa/AdobeStock)

Post-Pandemic, Hunger in NM Still a Critical Concern for Thousands

Holiday preparations are underway, and those who battle hunger in New Mexico are urging communities to remember their neighbors at a time when food …

The expansion of tax credits and free school meals during COVID-19 temporarily lifted more than three-million children out of poverty during the latter half of 2021, according to a Child Trends report. (disha1980/AdobeStock)

Study: Lifting Children Out of Poverty Losing Momentum

A new study found progress made to reduce child poverty over the past 25 years in the U.S. is at risk of stalling or being reversed. Child poverty …

The 2022 Kids Count report found 56% of New Mexico three- and four-year-olds are not in preschool, the lowest ranking in the nation. (Susan Warner/savethechildren.org)

NM Voters to Decide Major Funding Shift for Early Childhood Education

In educational performance, New Mexico consistently ranks at or near the bottom among the 50 states, but it could change if an influx of dedicated …

New Mexico ranks second in the nation for childhood hunger, according to Feeding America, with one in five children, or about 20.5% of children in the state, at risk of hunger. (nokidhungry.org)

Your Chance to Help Alleviate Hunger in New Mexico

A silver lining of the pandemic was more money available to address hunger, but those funds are drying up, and many in New Mexico will struggle this …

A new report shows the meal gap in New Mexico is 43.6 million meals, according Feeding America's

Federal Pandemic Funds Reduced NM Hunger; Longterm Worries Remain

Food insecurity in New Mexico dropped during COVID, but groups working to fight hunger worry the temporary reprieve will reverse itself now that …

The COVID pandemic caused major challenges for families and blunted progress in New Mexico to improve child well-being, according to New Mexico Voices for Children. (DeanMoriarty/Pixaby)

NM Struggles in Child Well-Being Report but Celebrates Positive Trends

Since 2020, New Mexico has been working to create a more cohesive, equitable and effective early-childhood system. But it could be a while before it …

A January leak and subsequent shutdown of the federally operated Cliffside Helium Plant in Texas has contributed to a shortage of helium in the United States. (blm.gov)

Environmental Concerns Slow Helium Mining Proposal on Navajo Nation

People on the Navajo Nation have lived through decades of oil, gas, uranium and coal extraction, and helium could be next. The Navajo Nation Oil and …

Life expectancy for Native Americans fell more than any other ethnic group during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new research by the University of Colorado-Boulder. (newmexico.org)

Study: Native Americans' Lifespan Reduced Most by COVID-19

New research shows COVID-19 caused life expectancy to drop for all groups of Americans, but none as much as American Indians and Native Alaskans…

Albuquerque is the first New Mexico city to prevent property owners from screening out applicants who plan to pay their rent using Section 8 vouchers. (benefits.gov)<br />

Albuquerque Ordinance Set to End Discrimination Against Renters

A new law in Albuquerque will soon prohibit landlords from refusing to rent to people based on their source of income. The ordinance is designed to …

Bans on abortion in Texas and Arizona will make New Mexico, where it is legal, the closest destination for many seeking access to the procedure. (centerforlanduseinterpretation)

Roe Domino Effect: Are Contraception, Gay Rights Next?

Leaders in the equality movement are warning the Supreme Court's ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade may soon lead to a reversal of other landmark privacy-…

Miners' Colfax Medical Center opened in 1906 in Raton to provide acute and long-term care for treatment of miners with lung disease. (members.nmhca.org)

NM-Based Telementoring Supports Sick Miners in Rural America

By Kristi Eaton for The Daily Yonder.Broadcast version by Roz Brown for New Mexico News Connection for the Public News Service/Daily Yonder Collaborat…

Experts cite a lack of affordable housing, systemic racism and inadequate safety nets as contributors to the nation's homeless crisis. (schluesseldienst/Pixabay)

Santa Fe Converts Route 66 Hotel to Affordable Housing

The conversion of a 60-year-old Santa Fe hotel should offer those seeking affordable housing, including the city's homeless community, a new lease on …

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in New Mexico includes one in four children being at risk of hunger, and one in six people overall. (hfcc.edu)

Letter Carriers 'Stamp Out Hunger' Campaign Returns After COVID Hiatus

Mail carriers across New Mexico are gearing-up for the "2022 Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive" this Saturday, May 14. The National Association of Letter …

Research in 2020 and 2021 at the University of New Mexico found a higher percentage of undergraduates were food insecure than graduate/professional students. (news.unm.edu)

More Money for Food Pantries at NM Colleges, Universities

More than half of Native American students at the University of New Mexico face food insecurity, with Hispanics second-most affected, at 35%…

Geneva Ortiz, Tom Elmhorst and Mildred Griffee sort surplus bread as weekly volunteers for Albuquerque's Roadrunner Food Bank. (courtesy photo: rrfb)

Purpose, Better Health Drives New Mexico Volunteers

COVID-19 shutdowns sent many New Mexico volunteers home to isolate, especially those 60 and older. This month, volunteer contributions are being …

Gasoline prices are higher in California than New Mexico, but drivers could pay over $5 and even $6 a gallon for unleaded during peak summer driving season, according to AAA. (Obelixlatino/Pixabay)

NM Legislature Convenes to Consider Relief for Gas, Food Prices

With the goal of providing financial relief for New Mexicans struggling with higher prices for gas and food, legislators convene today for a special …

Since the start of the pandemic, at least 30,000 immigrant families in New Mexico were excluded from stimulus rebate checks, unemployment benefits and other safety-net programs. (SomosUnPuebloUnido)

Statewide "Guaranteed Basic Income" Launches in New Mexico

In the next few days, more than 300 undocumented or mixed-immigration-status New Mexico families will begin receiving $500 monthly for the next year…

The New Mexico Supreme Court halted all evictions in March 2020, but its edict was inconsistently applied, as some courts did not follow the order, according to the New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty. (TierraMallorca/Pixabay)

NM Launches Eviction Prevention & Diversion Pilot Program

New Mexico is preparing to end its eviction moratorium, in effect since the start of the pandemic. At the same time, a pilot program designed to keep …

Child well-being in New Mexico was steadily improving prior to the onset of the pandemic, according to a new report from the state's Voices for Children. (AlexandraKoch/Pixabay)

Report: NM's Hispanic Families Hurt Most by Pandemic

New Mexico's families of color, Hispanic families in particular, have been hit hardest by income losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to …

President Joe Biden's Build Back Better bill would have reauthorized the expanded Child Tax Credit but is now in jeopardy after Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., reversed his support. (marcinjozwiak/Pixabay)

Endangered Tax Credit Impacts Thousands of New Mexico Children

Expansion of the Child Tax Credit during the COVID-19 pandemic has made a huge difference for many New Mexico families, but payments will not resume …

In the second cohort of the Magnolia Mother's Trust, the percentage of moms able to keep up with their bills increased from 37% to 80%. (Adobe Stock)

With BBB In Doubt, A Push for Guaranteed Income for Low-Income Families

By Katie Fleischer for Ms. Magazine.Broadcast version by Emily Scott for New Mexico News Connection reporting for the Ms. Magazine-Public News …

Hunger and poverty go hand in hand in New Mexico, where 83% of families experiencing hunger earn $20,000 or less a year. (rrfb.org)

Stepping Up for NM's Food Insecure as Winter Holidays Approach

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Whether it's seniors, people with children, students or the working poor, vulnerable populations across New Mexico are …

Recent research shows the mentally ill and drug addicted account for only about one quarter of the homeless population, while families with children make up one third and are the fastest-growing segment. (vinsky2002/Pixabay)

NM Eviction Moratorium to End, Homelessness Spike Worrisome

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Tents and sleeping bags not only make living on the streets more bearable this time of year, they can often mean the difference …

NM Conference Urges Seniors to “Adapt, Overcome & Thrive”

SANTA FE, N.M. -- Forced isolation from the pandemic has made it hard for seniors' voices to be heard in the past couple years, and New Mexico's …

Las Cruces' Camp Hope provides temporary, transitional shelter in the form of tents, showers and cooking facilities while people experiencing homelessness transition to permanent housing. (nmcommunityofhope.org)

Desert Hope: A Las Cruces Option for People Who've Been Homeless

LAS CRUCES, N.M. - A new apartment complex built to serve people who've been chronically unhoused in Las Cruces was three-quarters full when it …

Some seniors experiencing food insecurity collect too much in Social Security benefits to qualify for federal SNAP (food stamp) benefits, and must rely on a local food bank to tide them over. (Queen/Pixabay)

Albuquerque Food Bank Joins National Hunger Action Month

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- The number of people struggling to put food on the table in New Mexico has decreased since the onset of the pandemic, but those …

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NM: Poverty Issues