Rio Rancho Police Collect Food for Sandoval County Families

The Rio Rancho Police Department led a community wide effort on November 22 to gather food for families across Sandoval County, marking the 17th consecutive year of the department's holiday food drive. Officers and volunteers staffed collection points throughout the day at several sites, and the department coordinated logistics for donation drop off and delivery to partner pantries Storehouse West and St. Felix Pantry. The department said it will publish a final total of items and pounds collected once donations are tallied.

Community based drives like this provide immediate relief to households struggling to stretch food budgets during the holiday season, a time when demand for emergency food assistance typically rises. Local pantries use donated nonperishable items to supply groceries to people who might otherwise face lapses in nutrition, a concern that carries direct public health implications. Food insecurity can exacerbate chronic illnesses such as diabetes and hypertension, increase stress and mental health strain, and create barriers to healthy child development. Supporting pantry networks therefore contributes to broader community health and reduces pressure on local health care services.

The partnership between law enforcement and hunger relief organizations in Rio Rancho reflects a practical approach to meeting basic needs while engaging residents in civic action. By placing collection points at accessible community locations, including a prominent retail site at 901 Unser Boulevard, the drive both increased visibility and made it easier for working families and shoppers to contribute. Volunteers and officers who staffed the event handled sorting and transport logistics, ensuring donations reach pantry shelves quickly.

While food drives cannot substitute for long term solutions to poverty and unequal access to resources, they play an important role in the local safety net. Sustained support for community based food assistance, coupled with policies that expand nutrition programs and address the social determinants of health, will be necessary to reduce reliance on emergency donations. For now, the items gathered by Rio Rancho Police and their partners will help local families through the holidays, and officials will report final collection totals once all donations are processed.