Launched in 2014, the Food Rescue Program is a collaborative effort between Casa de Peregrinos and local retail grocers to recover food that has passed its “sell-by” date—food that would otherwise be discarded and sent to landfills. Instead, this food is redirected to support low-income families throughout Doña Ana County.

In 2024 alone, the Food Rescue Program recovered more than 1.38 million pounds of food, valued at over $2.37 million. While food rescue is a practice employed by major food banks nationwide, this initiative represents only the second large-scale food rescue operation in New Mexico, and the only one serving Doña Ana County.

Unlike traditional food drives or commodity distributions that mainly provide shelf-stable items, the Food Rescue Program supplies fresh meat, dairy, produce, and bread. This not only increases the quantity of food available but significantly enhances the nutritional quality of the 34,000 food distributions Casa de Peregrinos provides each year.

In addition to feeding families, the program plays a vital role in sustainability. With an estimated 40% of food in America going to waste, the Food Rescue Program is a meaningful local solution to a national issue—keeping perfectly good food out of landfills and putting it into the hands of those who need it most.