ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Employees with Storehouse New Mexico say the more financial stress on New Mexicans, the longer the lines get in the pantry. 

The pantry is where folks can find workers at Storehouse New Mexico anytime food is ready for pickup.

“We have a very small team here at the storehouse, so volunteers are very crucial to what we do as an organization. Volunteers help us pack boxes of food, they pack grocery carts when families come to the food pantry, and they even help sort donations that come in,” said Jill Beats, a Storehouse New Mexico marketing representative.  

Beats says as the demand grows, so does the need for more volunteers. Just in 2024 Storehouse topped their annual record.

“In the last year, the Storehouse has seen a big increase in the numbers of people we are supporting. We have been averaging the last five to six years about 55,000 people a year and last year in 2024 we toped over 79,000,” said Beats. 

With less than two months left in the school year, the lines are only getting longer. 

“We see a lot more families in the summer because children that get free meals at school, either breakfast or lunch, all of a sudden their families need to feed them, and they also have to pay for additional daycare and things. So a lot of additional families usually turn to us in the summer,” Beats said. 

They hope New Mexicans can help them get through this busy period. 

“So far we have been really blessed to be able to continue to feed as many people as we can, but those numbers are always really tight for a food pantry,” said Beats. 

Volunteers meet at Storehouse Tuesday through Saturday. Folks interested in volunteering can call (505)842-6491or visit their website.