Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
ECHO Inc., a non-profit charity, will distribute free food packages to seniors Monday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Travis Nelson Building at the Quay County Fairgrounds, Doyle Frasier, director of the Ministry of Hope, said. To qualify for the food packages, seniors must be at least 60 years old and show proof their income qualifies them for the program. Applicants should bring a picture ID, proof of income for the current year for entire household, and official documentation of dates of birth. ECHO distributes food through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Commodity Supplemental Food Progam (CSFP), which works to improve health of low-income elderly persons by supplementing their diets with nutritious foods. Food is obtained from manufacturers, farmers, distributors, grocers, community food drives and satate and national food bank networks, according to CSFP’s website. According to ECHO, 21 percent of New Mexico residents face food hardship, and one in five children and one in 10 seniors do not know where their next meal will come from. Qualifying annual income levels for seniors age 60 and over, depending on household size, are listed below:
Annual income
1 $15,171 2 $20,449 3 $25,727 4 $31,005 5 $36,283 6 $41,561 7 $46,839 8 $52,117
