Food Pantries See Growing Need In New Mexico, One Of Poorest States, As Food Stamps Take Hit

While reading through the few comments left, one point I had not considered before popped out at me
 A possible motivating factor as to why the Reich is intent on cutting aid to our governmental assistance programs, "to force the poor to seek aid from churches and church groups. Fundy's are licking their chops at the thought of all of these impoverished as potential acolytes." What an intriguing means of proselytizing.


"One of the things the families are saying now is that Casa de Peregrinos used to be an emergency food program, and now it's more of a necessity. They actually budget around what we give them," Alba said. "A lot of the families just don't have a choice there, that's just what they have to do.

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"It isn't good for society to have such a large number of people without proper nutrition," she said. "SNAP is the basic food safety net in our country and any cuts for that drive up demand. These cuts that are being proposed -- the number that we're hearing, they're so massive. There's just no way that private sector food programs, like Roadrunner Food Bank, can ever hope to meet that need. We won't be successful in filling that gap."

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"The House (farm) bill will cut over $40 billion from the SNAP program," Udall said in an interview. "So what you're talking about is cutting 32,000 New Mexicans off the program if you do that."

About 40 percent of people on SNAP are children and 13 percent are seniors. More than half are working families, he said.

"I can't stand by and accept cuts to a program that's helping feed almost a quarter of New Mexicans, especially when New Mexico leads the nation in child hunger," he said. "I'll fight against these cuts in my roll on the Senate appropriations agriculture subcommittee."

Congressman Steve Pearce, who represents southern New Mexico, has a different view and has voted twice in favor of the House version of the farm bill. He said the bill's measures will protect SNAP through reforms that will deter people from abusing the program while saving taxpayers billions of dollars, including the $40 billion reduction from SNAP.


Food Pantries See Growing Need In New Mexico, One Of Poorest States, As Food Stamps Take Hit