Tracy Rodden, Executive Director of Feed New Mexico Kids, has highlighted the urgent need for targeted support to address New Mexico's child hunger crisis. She emphasized the importance of prioritizing teenagers for weekend food assistance due to an undercounted need caused by stigma. Rodden made these remarks on the New Mexico Sun’s Suncast podcast on YouTube.
"There are 90,000 food insecure children in New Mexico," said Rodden. "the real number is likely higher. parents and teens avoid filling out forms due to stigma. New Mexico ranks third in the nation for childhood hunger."
According to Rodden, Feed New Mexico Kids is experiencing its first outreach from a preschool and focuses on providing high school students with discreet weekend snack packs. She estimates that approximately 90,000 children in the state are food insecure. Rodden notes that stigma prevents families and teens from completing necessary forms, which obscures the true extent of need. She also mentions that New Mexico ranks near the bottom nationally in terms of child hunger, often compared with Louisiana and Mississippi.
The New Mexico Department of Health’s IBIS summary, citing estimates from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), reports that in 2023 over 100,000 children in New Mexico lived in food-insecure households—nearly one in four children (23.3%). The report links food insecurity to poorer health outcomes, including higher rates of hypertension and diabetes among adults. It highlights efforts by schools and community partners to address these issues through out-of-school supports like weekend food packs.
Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap 2025 report ranks New Mexico as having the fourth-highest rate of child food insecurity in the nation, with 23.3% of children—about 104,000 kids—facing food insecurity. This places New Mexico behind Arkansas (24.0%), Oklahoma (24.0%), and Louisiana (23.4%). The findings underscore persistent child hunger in New Mexico and emphasize the need for sustained nutrition support outside school hours.
Feed New Mexico Kids is a Christian ministry dedicated to assembling "weekend snack packs" for students who may lack reliable access to food outside school settings. Tracy Rodden serves as Executive Director, leading efforts alongside schools and churches to discreetly reach children through counselors and social workers across the state. The organization relies on donor support and volunteers to pack shelf-stable, allergy-conscious items for Friday pickup.
