Casa de Peregrinos

Emergency Food Bank

999 West Amador Avenue
Las Cruces, NM 88005
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 6875
Las Cruces, NM 88006
PH: (505) 523-5542
Email: casadepere@yahoo.com
Website: www.mvcommunityofhope.org

Mission Statement

Casa de Peregrinos (House of Pilgrims) is a non-profit emergency food program designed to provide basic, nutritional food boxes and a supportive atmosphere to individuals and families unable to purchase nutritional groceries due to an emergency or unforeseen crisis. It is not an indefinite source of relief.

History of Casa de Peregrinos

The original Casa de Peregrinos began in La Mesa, a small community south of Las Cruces, in 1979. After several subsequent moves, in 1987 Casa de Peregrinos settled into its present Las Cruces location on Spruce Avenue.

An advisory committee was formed and was to become the board of directors. Articles of Incorporation were written, a business logo was adapted, and an executive director and office manager were hired. The board of directors conducted its first meeting in May, 1983.

Casa de Peregrinos Services

Casa de Peregrinos provides many services to help our clients. They include

Free food boxes
Clothing when available
Furniture when available
TEFAP food commodities
Gas vouchers
School supplies distribution
Networking and referral
Helping food pantries in Mesquite, Anthony and Sunland Park communities

Clients and Referrals

Over one thousand of our clients are waiting for food stamps, other benefits, their first paycheck or have some other crisis that has caused a lack of food.

Most of our clients are referred by community and social agencies including HELP, Human Services, Community Action Agency, local federal offices, hospitals, churches, and schools. Many clients are from Las Cruces, but we also supply food to pantries in the communities of Anthony, Mesquite and Sunland Park.

Eligibility Requirements

Clients are interviewed for their eligibility and given a week’s supply of food to be cooked in their homes. If they are living in their vehicles or on the street they are given foods that require no cooking or refrigeration.

Who qualifies for our program? Each case is unique with different circumstances. Not all cases will fit the criteria exactly, but such cases could involve

Low or no income prevents adequate provision of food for self or family
Work hours have been reduced
Unemployment or job loss
Delay in receiving food stamp benefits
Money, food stamps or food was stolen
Death in family resulting in no money for food
Transients with job seeking goals

Volunteers and Community Support

Nearly two hundred volunteers help us each year, including a ten-member governing board of directors. Volunteers receive, sort, package, and distribute food baskets, and interview clients to identify their needs. English/Spanish language skills are helpful.

Volunteers receive a brief training and orientation to help them feel at ease in serving clients. The volunteer coordinator assists them in their schedule. It is preferred that volunteers donate three hours each week. Days and hours of food assistance are Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9-11 am and 1-3 pm.

The heart and soul of Casa de Peregrinos are our volunteers.

Funding Sources

Casa de Peregrinos is a United Way agency and receives some funding from the organization; other monetary support is obtained from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) public grants.

We depend almost entirely on donations from individuals, businesses, churches, and service organizations that have included us in their budgets, and from schools and clubs that have sponsored food and fund drives for our benefit.

The annual Postal Carriers Food Drive, other food drives, backyard gardens, area farmers, and some stores give food. Cash donations buy most of the food that is distributed at the rate of one ton per day.

Food Donations

Salvageable food products such as out-dated items, day-old bakery goods, dented canned goods, broken outer packaging, shrinking ice cream, bruised meat products, seconds in produce, mistakes in manufacturing, wrong items shipped, etc., are utilized to help the hungry in this area.

For nutritional reasons, Casa de Peregrinos strives to provide the foods listed below:

Pinto Beans
Baking Powder
Tomato Sauce
Cornmeal
Potatoes
Tortillas
Margarine
Chile
Dry Milk
Soups
Rice
Bread
Baby Food
Cheese
Sugar
Onions
Oatmeal
Salt
Flour
Eggs

Accomplishments//Goals Achieved

Casa de Peregrinos can claim many accomplishments beyond feeding tens of thousands of people. Gratitude has been expressed to our staff and volunteers by hundreds of clients wishing to thank us for helping them over a very difficult time until they found a job or home, or overcame a serious problem.

We are meeting a proven need because each year there is an increase in clients. Counting the number of people served is a rather crude measure of client well-being and agency performance—one only needs to sit in the waiting area and observe the people there to get a sense of both. Those children playing on the floor deserve a chance! A healthy diet is an early step toward ensuring that they have that chance.

The benefits of the program are, of course, healthier children, better meals for diabetics and those suffering from illness, and higher quality meals for all our clients.

Vision//New Goals

In Spring 2005 we will be moving into our new home in the Mesilla Valley Community of Hope complex at 999 West Amador Avenue. We are very excited because we will have a larger area to serve more people and we'll also save over one thousand dollars each month on rent that we can use to buy more food to feed the families and individuals who need ouir help.