A note regarding USDA food boxes

During our 27 years of serving the northern New Mexico community, The Food Depot has taken great pride in our operation as a nonpartisan organization. That commitment to nonpartisanship has allowed us to work closely with our federal, state, and local officials to end hunger, regardless of political affiliation. We believe that ending hunger requires a commitment from elected leaders of all party affiliations, backgrounds, and geographies. Hunger has never been a partisan issue, which means ending hunger is up to all of us.

In addition to our commitment to nonpartisanship, our food bank is designated as a 501(c)(3) organization, meaning we do not directly or indirectly participate in any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for elective public office.

Beginning last week, The Food Depot began receiving boxes of food as part of Round 3 of the federal Farmers Feed Families Food Box Program which was established by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to help farmers during the COVID-19 crisis. This box contains a letter from the White House. The boxes have been pre-packed by third-party vendors who have contracted with the USDA; the boxes contain food and the letter.

The fact that The Food Depot is redistributing Farmers Feed Families program boxes containing a letter from the White House does not imply, nor should it be interpreted as, an endorsement of any political party or candidate by or on behalf of The Food Depot. In line with our status as a 501(c)(3) organization, we offer no endorsements of candidates for elected political office. We do not want our supporters or recipients to get the impression that we are violating the regulations around our 501(c)3 status.

We remain as committed to our nonpartisan advocacy work as ever and are here to ensure everyone in our community has access to the nutritious food they need every day. If you or someone you know needs food or assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out at info@thefooddepot.org. If you would like to volunteer, please contact us at volunteer@thefooddepot.org.