Spotlight on Roadrunner Food Bank – Albuquerque, New Mexico

From the beginning, one of Aidmatrix’ core relief areas has involved hunger relief in partnership with Feeding America and its 200+ food bank partners.

The universal characteristic of all food banks is the passion to feed hungry people within a geographic area. Likewise, Roadrunner is passionate about the nearly 40,000 hungry children, adults, and vulnerable seniors it feeds weekly.

During their 30+ year history, Roadrunner Food Bank is the only Feeding America member in New Mexico, supplying food to four additional regional food banks and hundreds of partner agencies throughout the state.

A recent visit to Roadrunner provided insight into what makes Roadrunner staff special including Jesse Baldwin, Director of Operations. This Food Bank moved into a beautiful building about three years ago. It is large enough to provide abundant warehouse and office space, but also provides enough freezer space to generate additional revenue through the rental of excess capacity space to the Schwan Food Company and other food related companies.

With great pride, Jesse talked about some of the ‘Green Initiative’ successes achieved at the Food Bank. I was particularly inspired by their efforts to convert a $100,000 waste disposal expense in previous years into a potential profit in 2012 through this initiative. To read more about their ‘Green Initiatives’, go to: http://www.rrfb.org/green.
 

Jesse also explained the concept of mobile pantry to me as a traveling food pantry. An organizer sponsors a food drop through Roadrunner at 6 cents a pound, identifies a distribution location, recruits volunteers to assist with distribution and invites the hungry to the distribution. Food Bank staff determines the percentage of baked goods, produce, dry/canned goods; picks the order; and delivers to the chosen location.

Roadrunner has also been using AgencyExpress, the online shopping solution hosted by Aidmatrix, for more than three years. Jesse said: ”Agency Express has given our agencies a convenient and efficient way to order food from us.  They appreciate how easy it is to use.”  Last year, Roadrunner has provided in excess of 22.3 million pounds of food to their partner agencies; AgencyExpress has been instrumental in streamlining the food order processing. To learn more about AgencyExpress, contact: charlotte_medley@aidmatrix.org or bob_good@aidmatrix.org.

 
If you find yourself passing through Albuquerque, I encourage you to arrange a tour with Jesse or other staff at Roadrunner. You will be inspired and ‘enchanted’! Visit the Food Bank website at www.rrfb.org.

Charlotte Medley
Office Manager and Program Specialist