Agency Details:

Community Action Agency Of Southern New Mexico (CAA)

Mission: We strive to end poverty in Southern New Mexico.

Vision: We work with people with limited resources in Southern New Mexico to enhance their independence and quality of life.

Description:
CAA is a primary source of support for families living in poverty. The majority of people who utilize the services of CAA are below the national poverty guidelines. While most poverty service organizations focus on a specific need, CAA addresses the needs of the community with a full range of comprehensive programs that include the Child & Adult Care Food Program, Tres Manos Program (Three Hands), Covering Kids, Teen Parent Program, Housing and Weatherization, Family Resource Services, and finally the United Way Funded Food Bank.

With NM ranking highest for food insecurity and working with a small staff, the Food Bank has much to accomplish to meet the needs of this community and hopes to do so with the help of some volunteers.

The CAA Food Bank is one of the largest providers of food to local area pantries and has three components that help feed families in need. These programs include:

• The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), provides food to families who are in need of supplementing food needs.
  
  
• The Commodities Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) which provides supplemental food to children under the ages of six and seniors over 60.
  
  
• The Emergency Food Box Program is a CAA pantry with donated food items that go to people who find themselves in immediate need of food.
  
  

In addition to the Food Bank, there are six other CAA programs that help families in need. However our focus for volunteers is for the Food Bank. Anyone interested in the Food Bank or any of the programs of CAA are encouraged to call (575)523-4390.

History:
Community Action Agency was created as part of Lyndon Johnson's War on Poverty in 1964. It's purpose was to be a voice for those who had none, mobilize communities, advocate for the poor, feed the hungry and work with the community to better the resources and lives of the people who live in it.

At the time of its creation, CAA housed programs such as the Head Start Program and Meals on Wheels. Today CAA has seven programs and covers 22 counties in the southern NM areas. In addition, CAA is an active partner with dozens of businesses and other agencies in its service area that work to improve the quality life for the community. CAA also serves as a catalyst for change by helping new programs get started or existing programs stay viable.

Covering all of southwest New Mexico, the CAA Food Bank makes a huge impact on this area serving 72,000 people last year.

Contact person: Marisa Ortman, Communications Specialist, (phone), (email)

Office fax number: (575) 527-9028

Languages Spoken: English

Address:

3880 Foothills Road, Suite A Las Cruces, NM 88011 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.caasnm.org

Last updated on November 6, 2009