RIO ARRIBA COUNTY NEWS

The phone rings at the Rio Arriba County Emergency Operations Center (RAC EOC). A tearful young mother is asking for help providing food for her family. She has three small children, one of them with a serious health condition. She has just lost her job. An elderly women calls asking for anything that we can spare, she is afraid to go out of the house and needs groceries, she is all alone.

Calls for assistance come from people with various incomes and situations. COVID-19 shutdowns and restrictions have created a new layer of hardship.

“Food insecurity is not a new issue for our community, but the pandemic is increasing the demands on food needs for those newly laid off or furloughed,” said Rio Arriba County Emergency Manager Alfredo Montoya.

The EOC hopes to help meet these emergency food needs to tide people over till other assistance is in place and/or to allay food insecurities for people who have food insecurity on a chronic basis. Thanks to the generosity of area residents, organization and businesses, the RAC EOC has been able to collect and purchase nonperishable food items for distribution to those vulnerable residents in our community with food insecurities during the pandemic.

Volunteers for the Emergency Operations Center collect, sort, box and deliver food to those in need. The RAC EOC is proud to have delivered over 100 boxes of food to our residents in Rio Arriba County, and will continue to look for opportunities to serve. If anyone is in need of emergency assistance please call the Emergency Operations Center at (505)-753-2992, ext. 5388.