Casa Rosa Food Bank
"A helping hand for Placitas"
"Una mano de ayuda para Placitas"
History: Casa Rosa opened its doors August 30, 2008, and eight families were served. Currently over 100 families in Placitas are being served including 150 adults and 94 children. We continue to progress in enhancing services provided to Placitas community members by partnering with Roadrunner food bank to purchase food and qualifying to receive federally subsidized commodities.
Our Mission: Casa Rosa is an outreach of Las Placitas Presbyterian Church in alliance with the broader community of Placitas, New Mexico. Our mission is to show the love of Christ through our actions by providing food, services, and other life needs to empower the people of Placitas.
Our Values:
- People as they are;
- The fellowship of participants who support our mission;
- The beliefs of others with no pressure to participate in Las Placitas Presbyterian church and
- Suggestions for meeting the needs of Placitas community.
Location: Casa Rosa Food Bank is located just East of Las Placitas Presbyterian Church in the pink house. Hours are each Saturday morning, 9:00-12:00. We will open at other times in emergency situations with special arrangements. A focus for the summer months is to help fill the needs of children who have depended on breakfast and lunch programs during the school year. Come visit us and we will show how we can help you.
Casa Rosa assures fair treatment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex or handicap.
Can Casa Rosa help you?
Casa Rosa provides: Perishable and non-perishable foods, frozen meats, canned meats, fruits, vegetables, juices and produce. Staples such as flour, sugar, salt, beans and pancake flour are provided, as available. Personal care items such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, toilet and facial tissue, soap, lotion and other hygiene items may also be provided. Sometimes cat and dog food and kitty litter are available.
Mobile Food Pantries: Casa Rosa has held several Mobile Food Pantries sponsored by members of the community. This project includes a truck from Roadrunner delivering 2500 lbs of nonperishable food and produce to be utilized by eligible Sandoval County residents in need. The cost to sponsor this activity is $100.
A Mobile Food Pantry will be scheduled about every other month and will be held in the Fellowship Hall of LPPC. Please watch the church calendar on our website or call the church office to find out when the next one will be held!
To qualify for services: For the first visit, bring proof of Placitas residency via photo ID, utility bill or phone bill with your name and address. You will be requested to fill out The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) form.
How Can You Help Casa Rosa?
Donations: Please consider donating non-perishable food items, clothing or more importantly, your time to the Casa Rosa Food Bank. Your financial support allows us to purchase items not available from Roadrunner Food Network. Please see below for frequently updated list of needed supplies - you can bring your supplies to the church office, drop them off at the Casa Rosa box in Fellowship Hall or bring them Saturday morning.
Volunteer! Your time is one of the most valuable contributions Casa Rosa needs. We are always looking for volunteers on Saturday mornings from 9:00 am - 12:00 pm and on various Friday mornings to help with the offloading and shelving of the delivered goods from Roadrunner. Please sign up in Fellowship Hall or contact Charlotte L. through the church office (867-5718).
Financial Assistance: Your financial support allows us to purchase items for our clients that may not be available from Roadrunner Food Network. If you are interested in sponsoring a Roadrunner Mobile Food Pantry please contact Charlotte at 867-4878 or LPPC office at 867-5718.
If you are aware of a need to fill, or resources to support Casa Rosa please contact the LPPC office administrator, 867-5718 or one of the individuals listed below:
CASA ROSA BOARD
Charlotte Lough, Chair
Vacant, Vice-Chair
Vivian De Lara, Treasurer
Sherrill Cloud
Jack Curro
Charles DeLara
Elsie DeLara
Jeff Dickson
Karen Fischer
James Gonzales
Matt Gurule
Juliet Jones
Ginny Ricciardelli
Gordon Ziemer
Darlene Bassett, Advisor
Announcements:
Please click here to view the CASA ROSA UPDATE in the LPPC newsletter!
Monthly Food Pantries MONTHLY: The Casa Rosa Board decided to hold the Mobile Food Pantries (MFP) every month beginning in January. A MFP is where Roadrunner delivers 2500 lbs of food for the incredible cost of $100. This allows approximately 50 lbs of food for each family. These events are open to all eligible Sandoval county residents. If you are interested in sponsoring future Pantries, please contact Charlotte L. through the church office at 867-5718.
Mobile Food Pantries Schedule every 2nd Wednesday of the month::
July: Wednesday, July 14, distribution 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
August: Thursday, August 12, distribution 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm
September: Wednesday, September 8, distribution 10:00 am -12:00 pm
October: Wednesday, October 13, distribution 10:00 am -12:00 pm
November: Wednesday, November 10, distribution 10:00 am -12:00 pm
December: Wednesday, December 8, distribution 10:00 am -12:00 pm
Adobe Pins by Lucinda are on sale limited time! Casa Rosa is still selling the beautiful, hand-crafted Adobe House lapel pins for our annual fundraiser this year, however, there are only 2 pins left and no more will be purchased. They are individually designed by Lucinda, a local artist. They are $20 each and all proceeds go directly toward Casa Rosa and the proceeds from each pin allows Casa Rosa to provide approximately THIRTEEN meals for our consumers. Get your pin before they are gone!
A NEW WAY TO PARTICIPATE IN CASA ROSA!! Since $1 buys $9 worth of food at Roadrunner, consider attaching a $1 or other bill with a rubber band to any canned or packaged item donated to Casa Rosa not readily available at Roadrunner. What a great return on your investment in Casa Rosa!
Rubber bands are provided for your convenience in the yellow bag on the bulletin board across from the church offices. Thanks to all who choose to participate in this way!
Furniture in Good Shape in Need of a Good Home? Let Casa Rosa help you find the next owner of your furniture that you no longer need. These items are very much appreciated by our clients. Please contact Charlotte through the church office at 867-5718 and we will help find it a new home (including pick-up!). All furniture that has been donated has found a new home in less than 2 weeks!
CASA ROSA AND THE JUBILEE GARDEN
PROJECT
In May Casa Rosa started a garden project in conjunction with the Jubilee Garden across the highway from LPPC. Valerie F., a community member, offered to fund equipment, or seeds or plants or whatever was needed to initiate the garden project with input from Casa Rosa clients. Betsy M. secured seeds and tender plants such as eggplant, tomato, and pepper from High Country Garden in Santa Fe. Juliet J. volunteered to organize the work group and secure cold plants such as broccoli and cabbage at High Country Garden in Bernalillo, where she is working part-time for the summer. Dan G., the overseer of the Jubilee Garden, agreed to supervise the Casa Rosa volunteers in the garden work. Max E. plowed the garden with his tractor; Dan rotor-tilled, volunteers made the rows for planting and the seeds and plants have been put in.
About 20 people, who are consumers at Casa Rosa, have volunteered to help in the garden: planting, weeding, watering, thinning and ultimately harvesting. Excess harvest will be brought to Casa Rosa for those who cannot work in the garden, but still need the fresh vegetables. Since there has been more than usual rain and run-off from snow pack this year, there should be sufficient water for the garden to thrive. With the enthusiastic volunteers the garden project is well on its way.
Please click here to enjoy more photos of the initial preparing and planting of the Jubilee Garden!
Recent Events:
Flea Market for Casa Rosa Food Bank took place on Saturday, February 27 at La Puerta Realty to help support Casa Rosa Food Bank. It was a great success as La Puerta presented the proceeds of $1,000 to Casa Rosa.
We thank La Puerta Realty, everyone who helped donate items to be sold and especially those who helped by shopping!
Happy First Anniversary, Casa Rosa!
It is hard to believe that one year has passed when Casa Rosa Food Pantry opened it's doors to the community. That magical, one-year anniversary was marked on Saturday, August 29th with an outstanding celebration! Speakers, music, food and awards, speeches from Pastor Elizabeth, Charlotte L., Board President, and a great fellowship of community members (church members and Placitas community members alike) were shared by all.
Please enjoy the photos from the event!
"Gracias, Casa Rosa" Poem
(written by client of Casa Rosa, August 2009)
These are real tough times, with lots of money stress
And when they’re going to get better, Is anybody’s guess.
But in this period of hardship, there are some people we’d all like to thank
It’s the volunteers who serve up food and good vibes, at the Casa Rosa Food Bank.
When you come through the door at Casa Rosa, you’re a welcome guest
And to make you feel comfortable, all of them do their best.
To help you get together, whatever it is that you need
Lots of healthy food to take home, when you’ve got hungry mouths to feed.
Putting food in our pantries, leaves us money for other things
Gas and medicine and heating bills, we’re not living like kings.
On behalf of the people of Placitas, thanks so much for helping to feed us
And for your warm heart and caring, thank you so much for sharing.
Gracias, Casa Rosa.