Programs

  • Program 1 [2021]

    IN THE PAST YEAR BIENVENIDOS OUTREACH HAD A DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF BOXES GIVEN OUT IN OUR FOOD BOX PROGRAM (9,832 FOR FY 20-21 VS 11,336 FOR FY 19-20), AND ALSO A DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF LUNCHES HANDED OUT IN OUR LUNCH BAGS FOR THE HOMELESS PROGRAM (10,021 IN FY 20-21 VS 14,711 IN FY 19-20). OF THESE CLIENTS, THERE WERE A TOTAL OF 343 FAMILIES (1,118 PEOPLE) WHO APPLIED FOR ASSISTANCE WITH US FOR THE FIRST TIME. THE TOTAL NUMBER OF FOOD BOX PARTICIPANTS THIS YEAR WAS 1,123 FAMILIES (3,193 PEOPLE). THE DROP IN FOOD BOXES AND LUNCHES CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO SOME OF OUR ELDERLY CLIENTS STAYING HOME DURING THE NM STATE STAY-AT-HOME ORDERS AND THE FACT THAT THIS FISCAL YEAR WAS ENTIRELY SPENT UNDER COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS AND PRECAUTIONS. HOMELESS DECREASES WERE MOSTLY DUE TO HOMELESS CLIENTS FINDING SHELTER & FOOD SERVICES ELSEWHERE (HOTELS OPENED UP TO HOMELESS PEOPLE AND OFFERED MEALS, IN SOME CASES). OTHERS LEFT THE AREA.PRIVATE & RETAIL FOOD DONATIONS WERE DOWN THIS YEAR PRIMARILY DUE TO THE COVID-19 EPIDEMIC. WE NEEDED TO CUT DOWN THE AMOUNT OF PICKUPS FROM DONOR LOCATIONS DUE TO VOLUNTEERS NOT BEING AVAILABLE AND DONATIONS WERE NOT AS READILY AVAILABLE BECAUSE OF HOARDING AND LACK OF INVENTORY ISSUES CONTINUING TO TAKE PLACE AT SUPERMARKETS. OUR SPECIAL FOOD PROGRAMS FOR CHILDEREN AND FOR THOSE SUFFERING FROM MEDICAL CONDITIONS CONTINUED OT BE POPULAR WITH OUR CLIENTS AND GRANT MONIES FROM COVID-19 RELIEF FUNDS ALLOWED US TO PURCHASE MORE ORGANICS AND PESTICIDE-FREE FOODS FROM LOCAL FARMERS. ALSO, HAVING LOWER NUMBER OF VISITS BY CLIENTS FOR BOXES AND LUNCHES, WE WERE CAREFUL NOT TO TAKE MORE FRESH FOOD DONATIONS THAN WE COULD USE. MONETARY DONATIONS WERE AT THEIR HIGHEST EVER PRIMARILY BECAUSE MANY PEOPLE CONTRIBUTED TO COVID-19 RELIEF EFFORTS.WE HAD ONLY 812 VISITS (DOWN FROM 3,577 IN FY 19-20) TO OUR CLOTHING ROOM AND THIS WAS AGAIN DUE TO HAVING TO CLOSE THE PROGRAM DOWN BECAUSE OF COVID-19. ONLY EMERGENCY CASES FOR CLOTHING AND HOUSEWARES WERE HANDLED FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE FISCAL YEAR. IN EARLY SPRING OF 2021, WE WERE OPEN EITHER ONE OR TWO TIMES A WEEK TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC, BUT ONLY WHEN VOLUNTEER HELP WAS AVAILABLE AND THEN, WE WERE ONLY OPEN FOR 2 HOURS A DAY. BECAUSE OF THE LIMITED HOURS OF OPERATION FOR THE CLOTHING ROOM, WE ONLY ACCEPTED DONATIONS ON A LIMITED BASIS.OUR CHRISTMAS GIFT PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN PROVIDED 435 CHILDREN WITH 870 GIFTS (2 GIFTS EACH).WE CONTINUE TO REMAIN OPEN TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO OUR CLIENTS. THE DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF BOXES APPEARS TO BE MAINLY COVID-19 RELATED AS PEOPLE REMAIN HOME AND KEEP THEIR OUTSIDE-THE-HOME VISITS TO PLACES TO A MINIMUM. FOOD DONATIONS WERE LOWER THAN USUAL AS STORES DID NOT HAVE AS MUCH TO GIVE US AND WE ALSO DECIDED TO PURCHASE MORE FOODS FOR OUR SPECIAL PROGRAMS THAT MET OUR STANDARDS FOR HEALTH DIETS. WE ARE PHASING OUT ACCEPTING DONATONS OF HI-SUGAR, HI-FAT FOODS, WHICH IS BEING MET WITH POSITIVE RESPONSES FROM OUR DONORS AND CLIENTS ALIKE.
    Geographies
    Not indicated
    Dates
    Jul 1, 2020 – Jun 30, 2021
    Source
    990
    No causes provided
    No populations provided
    –
    $237.3K

  • Food Box Program and Outreach

    ONCE AGAIN WE SAW INCREASES IN OUR KEY PROGRAM, THE FOOD BOX PROGRAM, AT BIENVENIDOS WOUTREACH. IN THIS PROGRAM, WE GAVE OUT 13828 FOOD BOXES IN FY 24-25 VS 11,958 FOR FY 23-24, AND A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF LUNCHES HANDED OUT IN OUR LUNCH BAGS FOR THE HOMELESS PROGRAM (18,297 FOR FY 24-25 VS 15,854 IN FY 23-24). OF THESE CLIENTS, THERE WERE A TOTAL OF 593 FAMILIES (1,559 PEOPLE WHO APPLIED FOR ASSISTANCE WITH US FOR THE FIRST TIME AND 209 NEW PEOPLE ADDED TO EXISTING CLIENTS' FAMILIES). THE TOTAL NUMBER OF FOOD BOX PARTICIPANTS THIS YEAR WAS 1,735 FAMILIES (4,497 PEOPLE). THE INCREASE IN FOOD BOXES CAN PARTIALLY BE ATTRIBUTED TO MORE SINGLE-PERSON HOUSEHOLDS THAN IN THE PAST, PEOPLE LOSING SNAP BENEFITS, AND NEW FAMILIES NEEDING ASSISTANCE WITH FOOD, CLOTHING AND OTHER ITEMS NEEDED TO EXIST. ALSO, A CONSIDERATION IS OUR EFFORTS IN WORKING WITH MANY MORE SOCIAL AGENCIES AND NON-PROFITS WHICH HELPED US SPREAD THE WORD OF OUR SERVICES.PRIVATE & RETAIL FOOD DONATIONS HAVE INCREASED, BUT ANYWHERE BETWEEN 35-40% OF THE DONATED FOOD FROM STORES IS NOT IN THE BEST CONDITION TO DONATE TO PEOPLE, AND, WITH THE COST OF FOOD CONTINUING TO RISE, WE ARE SEEING LESS AVAILABLE DONATED FOOD FROM ALL OUR MAJOR SUPERMARKET DONORS AS THEIR BUYERS CONTINUE TO CUT BACK ON THEIR INVENTORIES. WE CONTINUE TO PURCHASE FOOD FROM LOCAL FARMERS THAT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT FOR OUR SPECIAL FOOD BOXES THAT CONTAIN HEALTHY FOODS FOR MEDICALLY-CHALLENGED PEOPLE, CHILDREN AND SENIORS IN OUR CARE. MONETARY DONATIONS WERE THE BEST WE'VE EVER SEEN BUT WE ARE SEEING A SLOW-DOWN IN THESE DONATIONS ENTERING OUR NEW FISCAL YEAR. OUR OUT OF POCKET FOOD PURCHASES WENT FROM A MONTHLY COST OOF $1,200 TO $5,000. WE ARE ACTIVELY ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE IN OUR COMMUNITY BY INCREASING OUR OUTREACH TO CHURCHES, SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS AND BUSINESSES IN OUR AREA, INCLUDING SOME OUTREACH TO ORGANIZATIONS IN OTHER PARTS OF NEW MEXICO WHO HAVE HEARD OF OUR WORK.WE HAD A DECREASE IN CLOTHING ROOM VISITS (6,656 VISITS IN FY 24-25 VS 7,745 IN FY 23-24) AS WE HAD TO CLOSE FOR A TIME TO RE-MODEL THE CLOTHING AREA TO MAKE IT MORE USER FRENDLY. WE DID, HOWEVER, OPEN UP FOR EMERGENCY APPOINTMENTS.OUR CHRISTMAS GIFT PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN PROVIDED 669 CHILDREN WITH 1,338 GIFTS (2 GIFTS EACH).OUR PET PROGRAM AND DOOR DASH PROGRAMS ARE STILL AVAILABLE TO CUSTOMERS. ON AVERAGE, 14 CLIENTS PER MONTH RECEIVE DOOR DASH SERVICE AND WE PREPARED 5,424 PET FOOD PACKAGES FOR OUR CLIENTS (UP FROM 4,247 PACKAGES IN FY 23-24).OUR NEWER PROGRAM, GARDENS-FOR-ALL IS A HUGE SUCCESS, AND WE NOW HAVE OVER 600 UNITS OUT IN OUR COMMUNITY AND WE ARE RECEIVING REQUESTS FOR OTHER COMMUNITIES FOR ADVICE ON HOW THEY CAN START SUCH A PROGRAM.WE ALSO OPENED OUR FIRST OFF-SITE FOOD DISTRIBUTION IN THE VILLAGE OF ELDORADO, LOCATED IN SANTA FE COUNTY. THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT APPROACHED US TO OPEN A DISTRIBUTION CENTER FOR THOSE WHO CANNOT GET INTO THE CITY FOR HELPAS THEY FOUND THAT OUR MODEL OF DISTRIBUTION FIT PERFECTLY INTO THEIR PLANS. WE HELP NOT ONLY PEOPLE IN ELDORADO, BUT ALSO IN OTHER SMALL VILLAGES SPREAD OUT OVER THE COUNTY. IF THIS PROVES SUCCESSFUL, WE MAY OPEN OTHER DISTRIBUTION CENTERS IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COURNTY TOO.VOLUNTEER STAFFING IS AT ABOUT 60 REGULAR VOLUNTEERS AND WE'VE ADDED 5 MORE VOLUNTEERS IN THE PAST 2 MONTHS. PAID STAFF IS NOW AT 5 PEOPLE AS WE INCREASE OUR PRESENCE IN THE COMMUNITY.
    Geographies
    Not indicated
    Dates
    Jul 1, 2024 – Jun 30, 2025
    Source
    990
    No causes provided
    No populations provided
    –
    $520.9K