|
|
 The ECHO, Inc. Food Bank Programs Quick Facts
ECHO, Inc. is a non-profit organization administering the Food Bank, Aztec Pre-School, and Emergency Financial Assistance.
The Food Bank collects, stores, and processes food to distribute to low-income people. Food is gleaned from manufacturers, farmers, distributors, grocers, community food drives, state and national food bank networks in order to make it available to hungry people in Northwest New Mexico.
New Mexico has moved up the ranks to 5th in the Nation in food insecurity (not knowing where your next meal will come from) and 3rd in hunger. We still have 1 in six of our State’s residents going to bed hungry every day. Over 37% of these are children and nearly 10% are seniors.
The ECHO Food Bank has helped 5,048 of our neighbors in San Juan County (2004 so far) with 61,308 pounds of non-perishable food and provided 759 school food pantry backpacks. Food Programs are available in Farmington at 401 S. Commercial and at various volunteer drop sites and pantries in San Juan County. This is possible only through donations of time, money and food. Volunteers provided 5,568 labor hours last year. Local Corporate and Individual Donors provided 72,000 pounds of food for emergency boxes in 2003.
ECHO’s Food Programs:
- Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) assists income qualified children under 6 and pregnant, breastfeeding & postpartum moms (not on WIC) and seniors 60 years or older monthly with nutritious foods, basic nutrition information and recipes. ECHO CSFP provided 27,619 boxes in 2003 in Northwest New Mexico and an additional 106,145 boxes in 2003 out of our Albuquerque CSFP warehouse.
- The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP)- is provided monthly in emergency food boxes for resident low income individuals, families and other feeding programs in the area such as soup kitchens, shelters and pantries with Federal Commodity foods (both are Equal Opportunity programs funded by USDA, the Public Health and Human Services Depts. of the State of New Mexico). ECHO TEFAP distributed 141,828 pounds of food in 2003 in this program in San Juan County.
- Emergency Food Boxes, hygiene kits and infant boxes (EFB) are provided up to 4 times in twelve months for individuals or families in crisis.
- Agency Surplus Program (ASP) provides both food and non-food items at or below cost to other non-profit feeding programs. ECHO ASP provided 174,265 pounds of non-perishable foods and an additional 188,685 pounds of perishable foods to 56 other non-profits in San Juan County in 2003.
- Food and Nutrition (FaN) monthly special diet boxes are provided to individuals on specially prescribed diets (such as medically fragile, diabetes, etc.) who cannot qualify for other programs. ECHO FaN provided 4,486 pounds of special diet foods in 2003 in 196 boxes.
- Fresh Produce Program (FPP) provides fresh produce as available, free of charge to low income individuals, families and other feeding programs. ECHO FPP distributed 379,274 pounds of produce at no charge in 2003.
- Holiday Food boxes & Operation Merry Christmas food boxes are available during holidays in cooperation with other Service providers. 20,934 pounds of holiday foods were distributed in 2003.
- BackPack Program (BPP) provides individually packaged, kid-friendly foods in nondescript backpacks to area Elementary School Food Pantries. School personnel determine children at risk for returning home to empty shelves and send the food home with information on assistance to families. ECHO BPP distributed 828 backpacks in 2003 to 5 area elementary schools.
- Volunteering Program (VIP) provides on the job training to individuals (16 years or older if un-accompanied by adult); a safe, fun, supportive environment for adults to learn skills prior to re-entering the job market; a variety of tasks for community minded families and individuals; corporate groups looking for ways to serve the community while they work on team building skills; college and school clubs and classes, scouts; church youth groups and other civic clubs.
- Community Service Worker Program (CSWP) provides a volunteer job site for youth (16 years or older) and adults who need to satisfy pre-sentencing, court mandated or re-habilitation ordered community service hours.
- Job Site Programs are provided in cooperation with a number of local job training programs for special needs youth and adults.
|
