Circle of life
Galloping Grace Youth Ranch feeds pigs with surplus food, donates pork to the needy
A local youth ranch that uses food waste to feed its livestock used the livestock to create food for the hungry this holiday season.
Galloping Grace Youth Ranch in Rio Rancho donated 690 pounds of processed pork to St. Felix Pantry on Tuesday as a way to give back to the community.
GGYR founder and CEO Max Wade said the pork comes from farm-raised pigs that were fed discarded food from local businesses and schools for a year.
After pigs reach 250 pounds, Wade sends them to a U.S. Department of Agriculture-certified processor in Moriarty.
“They process it and package it for us in one-pound packages so we are able to distribute it to families that way,” Wade said.
The animals are fed and raised to become food at strategic stages of the season, Wade said — once in the summer and again during Christmas.
“When you sit back and reflect on what’s going on around us, there’s a lot of folks out there that are struggling,” Wade said.
Deacon Steve Rangel, president and CEO of St. Felix Pantry, said this is the second year Wade and GGYR have provided needed pork to pantry clients.
“The poverty level is high in New Mexico and it’s so important that we provide all the food that people need for their families, and protein is one of those,” Rangel said.
Tuesday’s donation of pork is enough to serve 690 individuals but, if a family has multiple mouths to feed, the pantry will make adjustments accordingly, he said.
“No person should go to bed hungry… . It’s something we need to do, not just because it makes you feel good, but because we’re supposed to,” Rangel said.
Paul Barabe, vice president of member services at the Rio Rancho Regional Chamber of Commerce, said he was grateful for the work Wade and Rangel are doing at St. Felix Pantry.
“I think it’s very important,” he said. “These men are obviously fulfilling a need. I thank them for their prayers and thank them for their support.”
Barabe said St. Felix Pantry is an essential part of support for many families in the Rio Rancho community and for hungry children in school.
“There are a number of kids in school that have a chance to have a meal, and take food home to their brothers and sisters because of this type of outreach,” Barabe said.
For information about St. Felix Pantry, visit stfelixpantry.org, or call 891-8075.