Baby food is a rare donation to food pantries. Most of us don’t think about giving those small jars of fruits or vegetables or buying baby formula, but it’s an important gift because so many little ones come to the Storehouse and baby food is an expensive item for low-income families.
It’s a problem that troubles the Storehouse team, because poor nutrition at a young age impacts the health and growth of our smallest community members. Because they are our future students and employees, we all should care that New Mexico is among the worst in the nation for childhood hunger. That shelf is more reliably stocked at our food pantry thanks to La Vida Llena retirement community, who supports the baby food shelf at the Storehouse.
Pastor Gerry Lightwine of La Vida Llena says, “It’s important that we give back to the community and share our abundance.” Dolores Michelsen and Barbara Fentimin, from La Vida Llena’s charitable committee, echo his sentiments. La Vida Llena regularly contributes baby food and offers ongoing donations of clothing to the Storehouse. As one of our most faithful partners, the retirement community has also offered contributions that help make the Storehouse food pantry possible over the last several decades.
La Vida Llena, which means ‘full life’ in Spanish, is a retirement community formed in 1979, when St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral, First Presbyterian, First United Methodist and St. Paul’s Lutheran came together to establish an intentional community “where aging is an opportunity to focus on what’s most valuable, living each day with the wisdom of a lifetime”. The staff and residents of the retirement community have been steady contributors for many years.
The Storehouse appreciates these gifts and we think it’s wonderful that some of the most senior people in Albuquerque are focused on helping so many little newcomers in our community. If you’d like to join the effort and make a difference for local babies, bring some baby food or formula to the Storehouse, give a gift to feed children, or sponsor a shelf of your own. Thank you!