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Editor's Note: As the Laboratory's 2005 United Way campaign continues through Nov. 12, the Daily Newsbulletin will periodically publish news stories about United Way provider agencies. This is the fourth in a series of profiles.

Charlie Baca, right, of the Food Depot, helps Flora and Jose Quintana load their truck with food for the Salvation Army. The Food Depot is one of the local agencies that receive funding from the United Way. Photo by Kay Roybal, Community Relations (CRO) Office

United Way helps Food Depot feed the hungry

For many years Sherry Hooper has dedicated her life to working at food banks across the nation. She is now executive director for the Food Depot in Santa Fe where, along with many others, she works tirelessly every day to end hunger in New Mexico.

"New Mexico ranks fourteenth in the country for hunger," Hooper said. The folks at the Food Depot hope to change those rankings. "Our mission is about ending hunger in New Mexico," she said.

The Food Depot is a nonprofit organization that salvages food products to distribute to agencies throughout Northern New Mexico also working to end hunger in the region. "It means that there are thousands of people who sit down to a meal at night because of what we are doing," Hooper said.

Hooper began volunteering at a food bank in Kansas City many years ago. She eventually acquired a full-time position at the food bank, where she became more and more dedicated to the cause. Hooper said that when she saw an opening for an executive director at the Food Bank in Santa Fe, she immediately applied for the job. To her delight, she was hired. "I came into a job I really love," she said.

Each week, Hooper and her staff collect and salvage food from different companies and stores throughout New Mexico. They then distribute the salvaged food to agencies throughout Northern New Mexico in need of food products.

Local agencies that need food for their clients can apply for aid from the Food Depot. After completing an application for entrance into the program, agencies go through a screening process to determine whether they are eligible to receive aid from the Food Depot. Those agencies that benefit from the Food Depot's assistance receive food supplies on a weekly basis.

If an agency is unable to transport the food, they can seek assistance from the Food Depot's delivery program, which also helps local agencies unable to transport their own food.

The United Way provides the funding for the Food Depot's delivery program as well as for the other programs run by the Food Depot.

"We are so grateful for the United Way," Hooper said. "There are so many things they do for us."

One of those things is to support the Food Depot's Foods For Kids program, said Hooper. The Food For Kids program provides hungry children with food-filled backpacks that they can take home. The children can then share this food with their families. Hooper said that because of the food sharing, the program isn't only reaching the children, "it's really reaching more people." The program is able to provide numerous families with a meal at night.

Hooper said these families are very grateful for the Food Depot's services. "It's always nice to know that people appreciate what we're doing," Hooper said.

The Food Depot hopes to continue the expansion of its programs to reach as many people as possible in the state of New Mexico. It now serves more than 80 member agencies and provides each agency with thousands of pounds of food each year.

Clearly, the Food Depot's cause is one to be supported as it reaches out to people in need in Northern New Mexico. Hooper continues to dedicate her time to the cause because she sees such positive results from the program. "We see such an opportunity for incredible change," she said. It is this change that keeps Hooper and her staff working to end hunger. When asked about her job, Hooper said, "I just love all this."

And what's not to love? Thanks to the Food Depot, thousands of New Mexicans are no longer going to bed hungry.

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