THE FOOD DEPOT News:

SANTA FE — The Food Depot closed Friday, Nov. 13, due to a staff member testing positive for COVID-19. 

The Food Depot learned Friday that a staff member had a confirmed case of COVID-19 and closed immediately.

It is unknown when or how this individual contracted the virus. The staff member is receiving appropriate medical attention and quarantining at home.

The food bank’s proactive transmission prevention strategies have protected hunger relief efforts up to this point, and will continue to minimize exposure in the future.

The Food Depot is managing exposure risk through the following strategies: 

• The Food Depot has notified the NMED within the four hours of the confirmed case;
• The Food Depot will sanitize all shared equipment and high-touch surfaces; and
  
• All potentially exposed volunteers have been notified.

The Food Depot continues to prioritize the health and safety of its staff, volunteers, and the people served by the food bank. Every effort will be made to preserve food distributions as scheduled, providing that they can be handled safely.

Visit The Food Depot website and social media channels for updates to scheduled distributions.

At this time, out of an abundance of caution, the building will remain closed until 8 a.m., Tuesday, Nov. 17.

More than 6.5 million pounds of food have been distributed to people experiencing hardship due to this public health crisis – enough for 5.6 million meals. The Food Depot is here for northern New Mexico.

About The Food Depot

The Food Depot fosters healthy communities by engaging a network of partners and developing solutions to create a hunger-free northern New Mexico. As the food bank for nine counties, The Food Depot provides hunger relief to more than 42,500 people experiencing hunger. The Food Depot addresses the crisis of hunger through a combination of drive-thru mobile food pantries, three direct service programs, and support of a network of over 145 partner nonprofit programs. Since January 2020, The Food Depot provided an average of 725,000 meals each month to people in need — the most vulnerable of our community — children, seniors, working families, and those in ill health.