SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL 35

50th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2012

INTRODUCED BY

Cynthia Nava

A JOINT MEMORIAL

ENCOURAGING PUBLIC SCHOOL FOOD SERVICE DIRECTORS TO ESTABLISH PROCEDURES WHEREBY UNEATEN FRESH FRUIT CAN BE DONATED TO LOCAL SENIOR MEALS PROGRAMS.

     WHEREAS, the vision of the senior meals program is to end senior hunger in New Mexico; and

     WHEREAS, senior hunger in America is a monumental problem, with more than seven and one-half million seniors facing the threat of hunger; and

     WHEREAS, senior hunger is a problem that is not limited to any single race or ethnic group, nor to few geographic areas or a particular income level; and

     WHEREAS, in a Ranking of States by Rates of Food Insecurity among Senior Americans, New Mexico ranks fifth, behind Mississippi, South Carolina, Arkansas and Texas; and

     WHEREAS, the senior meals programs in place in communities across New Mexico have engaged a number of sponsors to support the mission of alleviating senior hunger; and

     WHEREAS, a promising model has been the one in place between the Gadsden independent school district and that area's local senior meals program, whereby fresh fruit that is not eaten by students in school cafeterias is collected and donated to the meals on wheels program and distributed to hungry seniors in Dona Ana county;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that public school food service directors be encouraged to establish procedures to collect uneaten fresh fruit and donate it to a local senior meals program for distribution to hungry seniors; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this memorial be transmitted to the public education department for distribution to local school superintendents, head administrators of charter schools and school district and charter school food service directors.

- 2 -