Food Insecurity

Due to the federal government shutdown SNAP benefits to families are to be suspended beginning November 1, 2025. Click on the map photo to go to the District 6 Food Systems interactive map of locations offering food assistance.

ID Food Systems Project's list of available resources to help families get food

Please click on the links below to locate important food donation resources (beginning on November 1st).

• Food Pantries  This website allows you to search for food resources throughout the state. Includes meal sites, food pantries, and subsidized groceries. **ignore where it says, “view PDF and Print…”,  Scroll down and choose your city, then click ‘submit,’ and scroll down to see the list of options for that city, or scroll down and type a state in the right hand column where it says, “find closest food pantries…” , then click search.  
• NM Association of Food Banks Lists food banks by counties.  Scroll down to the map, click on the icon associated with your part of the state to see the listing.
• Meal & Nutrition Services from NM Aging & long-Term Services Dept.  Lists congregate and home delivered meal programs. 
• Bernalillo County Food Impact Team Food Resources
• CABQ Health, Housing & Homelessness Dept. Connect to Resources
• Albuquerque Food Donation Guide for Restaurants and Caterers (English)
• Albuquerque Food Donation Guide for Restaurants and Caterers  (Spanish)

District 6 Food Systems Project

Summary of the International District Food Systems Working Group Sessions

Introduction and Core Vision

The International District (ID) Food Systems Working Group sessions mark a pivotal moment in the movement to foster food security, food sovereignty, and economic opportunity in Albuquerque's International District. Guided by the office of District 6 City Councilor Nichole L. Rogers, these sessions, which included a community-driven visioning event, successfully laid the groundwork for a comprehensive, equitable, and sustainable local food system. The overarching goals included acknowledging past advocacy, laying the foundation for collective decision making, and identifying immediately actionable policies and projects. A key immediate outcome is the announcement of opportunities to participate in a District 6 focused Food Policy Council and the planning for an upcoming market space at Kathryn and San Mateo.

Key Policy and Project Recommendations: Building a Resilient Food Infrastructure

The Working Group developed a suite of ten key recommendations, balancing immediate policy action with long-term infrastructure and economic development. These recommendations address various points in the food system, from production to distribution and consumption:

• Infrastructure Investment: Top-priority requests include seeking Capital Outlay funds to construct a commercial kitchen and/or processing unit with cold storage. This vital infrastructure will support local growers, food entrepreneurs, and the new market space.
• Policy Reform for Access: The group strongly recommends advocating for Integrated Development Ordinance (IDO) Amendments to support Bodegas in the International District. The 2025 IDO Update included a revision to Councilor Rogers' "Albuquerque Bodega Amendment," allowing community-scale food retail of up to to 3,000 s.f. on corner lots in R-1, R-T, and R-ML as retail, restaurant, or grocery store. In R-T and R-ML structures, these uses would be conditional in other locations citywide, and would allow grocery stores of up to 10,000 s.f. in MX-T.  The Environmental Planning Commission (EPC) hearing on October 28th made recommendation to the City Council to approve the amendment. This amendment is a critical step towards increased neighborhood access to fresh food.
• Economic & Social Support: Recommendations to directly benefit residents and local producers include:
  • Expanding the City of Albuquerque's (CABQ) Guaranteed Basic Income (GBI) Pilot program to address poverty and food insecurity.
  • Creating a Small Grower Micro-Grant Program to provide financial support to boost local production.
  • Advocating for the NM Healthcare Authority to increase funding for "Double Up Food Bucks" and pushing for SNAP/WIC expansion and flexibility to maximize residents' purchasing power for fresh produce.
• Streamlining and Capacity-Building: To ensure systemic change, the Working Group recommends:
  • Creating a Food Distribution Network Coordinator position in the City's Operating Budget.
  • Amending CABQ Human Resource Department Policies to create career opportunities and pathways to support the ID food system.
  • Removing permitting, business registration, and other business development barriers for prospective small-scale growers.

Community Vision for the New Market Space

Community engagement focused on creating a vision for the new market space at Kathryn and San Mateo, revealing a strong collective desire for a vibrant, inclusive, and supportive hub.

• Market Vision & Features: Participants envision a space characterized by vibrancy, inclusivity, support, and joy, with easy access to healthy, affordable food, alongside music, art, and learning opportunities. Specific desired features include: secure bike racks, diverse local and value-added food vendors, a food forest, open park-like space, food truck parking, ample seating and shade, and 24-hour restrooms. There was a desire for the market to be open 4-5 days a week or even 7 days a week, with flexible hours.
• Operating Factors: Key factors identified for participants to sell or provide resources include ease of permitting, market availability during evenings or weekends (beyond standard Saturday/Sunday), sun coverage/shade structures, safety through community agreements, water/cleaning ease, and affordable tabling costs.
• Community Expertise: The community is poised to contribute unique skills such as graphic design, grant writing, community mandala hosting, muralism, marketing, vendor recruitment, backyard gardening classes, and market management.
• Market Naming Suggestions: Proposed names reflect the community's spirit, including "The People's Market," "Reyna Luz Market - my mothers table," and "Community Solidarity Market." The idea of a naming contest was also suggested.

A Foundational Commitment to Collaboration

The sessions culminated in a Food System Collaboration Agreement that clearly defines the roles and responsibilities of key partners—the Community and the University of New Mexico (UNM)—in moving the food system agenda forward:

• Community Roles: The community will lead in Visioning & Decision-Making, Mobilizing and Organizing Local Efforts, providing Local Knowledge & Expertise, ensuring Inclusivity & Representation, and monitoring and evaluating Successes and Challenges.
• University of New Mexico Roles: UNM will support the efforts by providing Research, Data, and Academic Expertise, contributing to Capacity-Building Initiatives, facilitating Collaborative Research Projects, leveraging Student Engagement, and ensuring Equitable Collaboration.

This collaborative agreement establishes a robust model for shared governance and resource deployment, signaling a powerful, unified commitment to a more just and sustainable food future for the International District. The Working Group's comprehensive results serve as the foundation for the newly forming District 6 Food Policy Council.