Santa Fe County, New Mexico (KRQE) – Food program operations are ending. Food Depot announced the news on Wednesday.
According to Food Depot, they have decided to end their Santa Fe-based Kids Kitchen program. It will cease operations at the end of the 2022-2023 academic year.
The program fed the 21st Century Program of Santa Fe Public Schools, the Boys and Girls Club of Santa Fe, and other students in the county. The last meal will be served on June 8, 2023.
The residency ends in the kitchen where food is prepared. The group said they were having trouble finding a new place to continue working.
Our community must recognize the difficult times we are facing in our charitable food system. Rising food costs, declining SNAP benefits and increasing demand for hunger relief services are straining the ability of food banks to reach those in need. Food Depot is no exception.
Closing Kids Kitchen is a difficult decision, but one that is irreversible. All resources dedicated to the program will be reassigned to strengthening The Food Depot’s primary hunger relief program.
Although it will no longer serve meals through its Kids Kitchen program, The Food Depot will continue to provide families with access to nutritious food through various other hunger relief programs in Santa Fe County and northern New Mexico. I am working on a major mission.
Within Santa Fe Public Schools, we will continue to support and expand our network of school-based food pantries. We also believe that the implementation of school-wide feeding programs, other nonprofit feeding programs, and other state-level children’s feeding programs will fill the gap left by the loss of the Kids Kitchen.
Food Depot appreciates the strong partnerships that Kids Kitchen has built over the years and appreciates the great work we have done to feed the children in our community.
Statement from Food Depot
Click here to visit the Food Depot website.