Sharing Our Table: The Legislature Must Fund the Executive Budget for Vital Hunger Fighting Programs 

By Cody Jeff, New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty Public Benefits attorney, and Marlene Yanez, La Semilla Food Project Community Education Program Director

In New Mexico, the tradition of embracing our community through shared meals reflects our deeply rooted values of hospitality and compassion. It is a time-honored practice to ensure that everyone is welcome at our table. Whether we’re coming together for family meals orpotlucks,, sharing vegetables we grew in our gardens, or supporting each other through mutual aid, the shared dedication to making sure nobody goes hungry truly reflects the close-knit and supportive spirit that defines us as New Mexicans. This tradition not only reflects our values but also serves as a powerful means of addressing hunger within our community.  We not only share our food and green chile recipes, we also share our collective vision of improving New Mexico one meal at a time.

The reality in New Mexico is that food insecurity is still a widespread issue. Federal programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) provide families all across New Mexico with food and cash benefits to help make ends meet. Receiving support from SNAP can make a meaningful difference in a family’s health and school experiences. Food insecurity is correlated with increased hospital visits and difficulty at school, but food and cash benefits can reverse that. Access to adequate nutrition ensures our children walk into the classroom in their best physical and emotional health, ready to learn. This provides important stability for our families in moments of need, when life throws unexpected challenges at us, –to help us maintain and regain stability. 

Currently, monthly SNAP food benefits are meant to last a family at least a month, instead only last about two weeks. New Mexico’s cash benefit program (TANF) for very low-income families with children is one of the lowest in the United States. Providing benefits that are so low means our families, including tens of thousands of children, are still living well below the poverty line – even with assistance. This was the case before the current housing and inflation crisis, and has only gotten worse as the cost of living continues to rise – putting extra pressure on our families who are already grappling with affording meals, diapers, and housing. This is why, as New Mexicans, we must use our shared resources and remember we have enough for everyone. In New Mexico, food and income support are administered through the Health Care Authority (HCA). The Executive Budget for the HCA includes important increases to make sure our kids, older adults, and New Mexicans with disabilities always eat. The current version of the budget coming out of the House does not fund these critical increases. Lawmakers must stand by our values to come together at the table and serve everyone by fully funding the Budget for HCA.

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