SANTA FE – A state COVID-19 relief fund started last month is awarding grants totaling $550,000 to address the surging demand for food assistance from unemployed New Mexicans.

The All Together NM Fund announced Friday that it has awarded $400,000 in grants to five food banks that serve communities – including tribal communities – across the state. Amounts were based on a formula used by the state to distribute food assistance.

The New Mexico Coalition of Community Foundations, which originated the All Together NM Fund, will also award $150,000 through a competitive grant process to support food distribution agencies across the state.

“Thank you, New Mexicans, for your quick and generous response to help others by contributing to this fund,” Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said. “With so many New Mexicans who were already on the edge and are now unemployed, the need right now is nearly incalculable. Those who are still working and who can afford to do so are stepping up to help, and while that doesn’t surprise me, it certainly makes me proud.”

The largest grant – $289,000 – went to Roadrunner Food Bank with operations based in Albuquerque and Las Cruces, which has already spent three times its annual budget for the year.

“We know that the food security system is strong in New Mexico, but funds to support this work are being quickly drained due to exponential increases in demand,” said Bill Smith, president and CEO of the Santa Fe Community Foundation. “Through these grants, we are helping alleviate the financial strain that threatens food availability across our state,” he said.

Here is a breakdown of the first-round food grants:

• The Food Bank of Eastern New Mexico (based in Clovis): $13,200
  • Serves Curry, DeBaca, Guadalupe, Quay, and Roosevelt Counties
• ECHO Food Bank (based in Farmington):$24,400
  • Serves San Juan County
• The Community Pantry (based in Gallup): $28,000
  • Serves Cibola and McKinley Counties
• The Food Depot (based in Santa Fe): $45,200
  • Serves Colfax, Harding, Los Alamos, Mora, Rio Arriba, San Miguel, Santa Fe, Taos, and Union Counties
• Roadrunner Food Bank (based in Albuquerque and Las Cruces): $289,200
  • Serves Bernalillo, Catron, Chaves, Dona Ana, Eddy, Grant, Hidalgo, Lea, Lincoln, Luna, Otero, Sandoval, Sierra, Socorro, Torrance, and Valencia Counties

The many donors who made these grants possible with gifts large and small include:

• Stanley E. Fulton Family Foundation
• McKinnon Family Foundation
• Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico
• Intel Foundation
• Pattern Energy
• Blattner Energy, Inc
• Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association
• Illinois #3 Foundation
• RALI New Mexico
• PhRMA
• Virgin Galactic
• Isora Foundation
• Comcast
• Swire Coca Cola

The New Mexico Coalition of Community Foundations established the All Together NM Fund in March to help New Mexico respond to and eventually recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Santa Fe Community Foundation administers the fund.

Other coalition members are the Albuquerque Community Foundation, the Community Foundation of Southern New Mexico, and the Taos Community Foundation. The governor’s office is helping the foundations identify the state’s most urgent needs.

Donations to the fund are tax-deductible and can be made through the website, www.AllTogetherNM.org, by texting “together” to (505-333-4714, or by mail to the Santa Fe Community Foundation, PO Box 1827, Santa Fe, NM 87504. Please note “All Together NM Fund” on the check itself.

Gifts of stock, property and electronic fund transfers may be made by calling the Santa Fe Community Foundation at 505-988-9715 ext. 7006.