Homeless food pantry facing crisis

Casa de Peregrinos facing shortages of food and money
By Todd G. Dickson

Las Cruces Bulletin

A steadily rising wave of homeless people arriving at Casa de Peregrinos’ door to seek nourishment has the nonprofit group calling out to the community for support – be it more food supplies or financial assistance.

“This is a crisis,” said Tom Packard, vice chairman of the Casa de Peregrinos board. “Our budget is looking to be about $84,000 short and we are running out of food.”

Located on the Mesilla Valley Community of Hope campus, the nonprofit food bank for the homeless provides packages of food stuffs – beans, flour, rice, cheese, tomato sauce and such. The value of a package ranges from a little more than $5 for one to three people to more than $33 for a family of more than 10.

In 2008, Casa de Peregrinos provided the food packages to almost 30,500 people. Last year, that number grew to more than 33,270 people. Like all other nonprofits, there is less gov­ernment money and private grants, Packard said. The amount of money Casa de Peregri­nos usually gets from the United Way decrease by 90 percent, he said.

As a result, Casa de Peregrinos has had to dip into its rainy day fund more than the board members would like, he said.

In some ways, Casa de Peregrinos has found itself in the same situation as many of the peo­ple it sustains.

“It’s kind of frightening to be dealing from hand to mouth,” he said.

But it really hit home to Packard when he was recently volunteering at the food pantry and saw something disturbing – no cereal, no pasta and no peanut butter.

“The cupboard really was bare,” Packard said.

Packard said he knew he had to reach out to the media to get the word out. Like many other nonprofits, too many in the community assume the group is getting sufficient grant and government funding, he said.

“We really need the community to take some ownership and get involved,” Packard said.

Though Casa de Peregrinos enjoys the sup­port of some community groups, it now needs more to hold food drives and help raise funds, he said.

In terms of food, the best donations are canned food,cereal,peanut butter and pasta.Casa de Peregrinos does get fresh produce through the Community Action Agency Food Bank.

In terms of money, “we can use anything from $1 to $1,000,” Parkard said. The nonprof­it also is holding a fundraising raffle.

Casa de Peregrinos also provides support to food banks in Mesquite, Sunland Park and Anthony, N.M., said Assistant Manager Crystal Salazar.

Anyone who shows up for the first time gets a food package, she said. After being registered with Casa de Peregrinos, they can pick up one food package a month, she said.

Salazar said Casa de Peregrinos really began to feel the affects of an increase in homeless­ness this winter, though the growth really be­gan earlier last year as the economic recession caused massive job losses nationally.

How to help

Casa De Peregrinos is holding a fundraising raffle. Tickets are $5 and 1,000 are for sale. First prize is a $100 gas card from Shell, second prize is an iPod Shuffle package, third prize is four movie tickets and fourth prize is a $25 gift certificate to Red Lobster, Hooters or the Olive Garden. To buy a ticket, visit Casa de Peregrinos at the Mesilla Valley Community of Hope campus at 999 W. Amador Ave.

For more information about Casa de Peregrinos, visit www.casadeperegrinos.org

Article from Las Cruces Bulletin - Todd G. Dickson - Posted 4/2/2010

Writers read their work to help the less fortunate
Sun-News report
Article Launched: 10/10/2008 01:31:14 PM MDT

Art historian, curator, publisher, literary translator,
and poet, Roberto Tejada is the author of a variety
books that include "Manuel Alvarez Bravo: In Focus"
(Getty Publications, 2001), "Luis Gispert: Loud
Image" (University Press of New England, 2004),
"National Camera: Photography and Mexico's Image
Environment" (University of Minnesota Press, early
2009), and "Celia Alvarez Muñoz" (UCLA's Chicano
Studies Research Center, University of Minnesota
Press, early 2009); he is the founder and co-editor
of "Mandorla: New Writing of the Americas," a yearly
journal of literature and translation, now on its 11th
issue. His poetry includes: "Gift & Verdict" (1999),
"Amulet Anatomy" (2001), "Mirrors for Gold" (2006)
and, forthcoming, "The Art Institute" (2009).
Stacey D'Erasmo is the author of the novels "Tea"
(Algonquin, 2000), which was a New York Times
Notable Book of the Year; and "A Seahorse Year"
(Houghton Mifflin, 2004), which was named a Best
Book of the Year by the San Francisco Chronicle and
Newsday, and won both a Lambda Literary Award
and a Ferro-Grumley Award. Her essays, features,
and reviews have appeared in the New York Times
Magazine, the New York Times Book Review, and
"Ploughshares." She is currently completing her
third novel, tentatively titled "A Secret Life."
An event to raise funds for Casa de Peregrinos, a
Las Cruces food bank, takes place Friday evening at
the Rio Grande Theatre, featuring readings from
poet Roberto Tejada and novelist Stacey D'Erasmo.
The annual Writer's Harvest Hunger Benefit,
sponsored by La Sociedad para las Artes, is a charity
event that has helped Casa de Peregrinos through
the difficult holiday season for 14 years. In that
time, La Sociedad has raised almost $60,000 for
Casa de Peregrinos.
La Sociedad Para Las Artes is an organization of
creative writing graduate students dedicated to
promoting the arts at New Mexico State University
and in Las Cruces. For 30 years, La Sociedad Para
Las Artes has been bringing local and national
writers to Las Cruces for free public readings of
poetry, fiction, and essays. The annual reading
series is the only one of its kind at NMSU. In
addition, La Sociedad places graduate students in
public schools to teach creative writing.
The Annual Hunger Benefit is intended to be both a
charity for Casa de Peregrinos and a communitybuilding
arts event. This year the benefit will include
a silent auction.
Rebecca Renteria, director of Casa de Peregrinos,
said La Sociedad's Hunger Benefit is a great source
of reliable annual aid and with more community
support "it could be a really amazing and defining
thing [for Casa de Peregrinos]."
Support could come as donations to the silent
auction (anything from art to jewelry to gift
certificates), bids during the silent auction, or the
purchase of a ticket to the event. All proceeds go to
Casa de Peregrinos and the money from the event,
Renteria said, accomplishes more than a simple food
drive because Casa is able to use the cash to
purchase bulk food at discounted rates that can help
keep the shelves full throughout the holidays.
The silent auction will begin at 5 p.m. and the
readings will begin at 7 p.m. All proceeds go to
Casa de Peregrinos. If you would like to donate to
the silent auction, buy tickets, or learn more about helping La Sociedad promote the arts, contact
Connie Voisine at (575) 646-2027 or
cvoisine@nmsu.edu .
If you go
What: 14th annual Writer's Harvest Hunger Benefit
When: Friday, 5 p.m. for silent auction, 7 p.m. for
readings
Where: Rio Grande Theatre, 211 N. Downtown Mall
Cost: $12 (includes admission to a post-reading
reception with music and a cash bar at The Rain
Forest, 1765 S. Main)
Info: (575) 646-2027, or cvoisine@nmsu.edu

(News source on above link)