The ECHO Inc. Food Bank Programs Quick Facts

The ECHO Food Bank collects, stores, and processes food to distribute to low-income individuals. Food is obtained from manufacturers, farmers, distributors, grocers, community food drives and state and national food bank networks in order to make it available to hungry people in Northwest New Mexico.

New Mexico is ranked 5th in the nation in food insecurity (not knowing where your next meal will come from) and 18th in hunger.  We have 1 in 8 of our State's residents going to bed hungry every day.  41% of these are children and 11% are seniors.  Click to see how you can help families

The ECHO Food Bank helped 30,000 of our neighbors in need in San Juan County with 1,165,000 pounds of food this past year.  County unemployment doubled in that time frame.  The community provided 3,220 backpacks filled with shelf-stable, kid-friendly, open and eat foods in 14 area elementary schools.  2,000 Low-income seniors, mothers and children received much needed food and nutrition information monthly.  Volunteers make it happen.  The community donated  9,999 volunteer hours in the Food Bank this past year.

Food programs are available in Farmington at 401 S Commercial and at various remote mobile pantry sites.  Call 505-325-8222 for more information.  The Commodity Supplemental Food Program for seniors, mothers and children is also available in our Albuquerque facility at 300 Menaul NW #226, 87107, 505-242-6777 for more information.

ECHO's Food Programs:

    •   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.
• 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.
• Fresh Produce Program (FPP) provides fresh produce as available, free of charge to low income individuals, families and other feeding programs.
• Holiday food boxes & Operation Merry Christmas food boxes are available during holidays in cooperation with other Service providers. 
• 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 pantries and send the food home with information on assistance to families.
• Volunteer Program (VIP) provides on the job training to individuals (17 years or older if un-accompanied by an 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 (17 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.