The hub of food services in Socorro County needs help to feed the less fortunate.
The Socorro Storehouse distributes monthly food boxes for the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), collaborates with Socorro County and emergency services to help meet food needs throughout the county, provides emergency food packages to Puerto Seguro, and works with the senior centers to help them meet food needs.
When the Socorro Storehouse started two decades ago, they were helping feed about five families. Now is 2024, the numbers have far exceeded pre-COVID 19 number
Before COVID-19, the Storehouse was serving 50 to 60 families per week, said Executive Director Melissa Ramsey. But when the pandemic set in, the federal government increased food assistance with emergency allotments. Extra dollars came in from the government to help families get the groceries they needed. During the pandemic, the Storehouse was seeing an average of 12 to 20 families per week.
Today, the numbers are back up to where they were before the pandemic and the need is growing according to Ramsey. The number of households they are serving has climbed upwards of 65 per week. With the increased need, the Storehouse has a need for more donations.
What kind of households was the Storehouse feeding also has shifted since the pandemic. Before the pandemic, many of the clients were families with children. There would be twice the number of adults compared to children served.
Now the need is different. The number of families with children returning has increased, but there still are still more adult and elderly clients than households with children, said Ramsey.
“Students, they can’t concentrate, and they have no security at home if they’re not able to eat. Same with seniors. People don’t realize that the seniors are really in bad shape. They need as much as the kids do, if not more,” she said.
People underestimate how important nourishment is for seniors, said Ramsey.
The Storehouse needs donations of food and money to meet the increased need. There are already churches that donate beans, rice, pasta, spaghetti sauce, and hygiene products, and the Animal Protective Association of Socorro donates dog and cat food. Walmart also regularly donates food items. But the Storehouse needs more items like small boxes of cereal, instant ramen noodle cups, Hamburger Helper-type items, and boxed macaroni and cheese. Ready-to-eat pop top items like canned ravioli can be included in the food packs distributed by the homeless shelter.
While the Storehouse needs more donations, and always welcomes volunteers. The word Socorro is succor, help, and that’s exactly what this town does, according to Ramsey. If someone is in need something, food or whatever, the community is willing to help make a difference in their lives.
To find out more about receiving food assistance from the Storehouse, visit on a Thursday between 12 and 2 p.m. To participate in TEFAP, bring a picture ID, plus names and birth dates of everyone in the household. The gross income limits for New Mexico TEFAP monthly are:
• $2,248 monthly for a one-person household.
• $3,041 monthly for a two-person household.
• $3,883 monthly for a three-person household.
• $4,625 monthly for a four-person household
• $5,418 monthly for a five-person household
• $6,210 monthly for a six-person household
• $7,003monthly for a seven-person household
• $7,795 monthly for an eight-person household
