Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham launched a COVID-19 emergency matching fund for hunger and health relief, kickstarted by a $250,000 grant from Thornburg Foundation that could unlock up to $1 million in combined state and federal funding.
SANTA FE — June 30, 2020 — New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham today announced the launch of a Federal Emergency Management Administration matching fund to fight hunger and provide health services in areas hit hardest by Covid-19.
The NM COVID-19 Emergency Match Fund will allow private contributions to be matched by federal grants at a rate of up to $3 for every dollar contributed. The Thornburg Foundation, a New Mexico-based family foundation, announced a $250,000 grant to kickstart the launch. The grant will be matched by up to $750,000 of state funding, an amount that will later be reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Administration. In total, this will result in up to $1 million for New Mexico communities still reeling from the Covid-19 pandemic.
"While New Mexicans are taking tough measures to flatten the Covid-19 curve, many tribes and pueblos have been disproportionally impacted by high numbers of cases," said Gov. Lujan Grisham. "With shelter-in-place orders still in effect in hard-hit areas, these residents have limited access to food and healthcare."
The matching fund, established by the New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration and the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, allows the state government to seek reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Administration for emergency expenses at a rate of 75%.
"Covid-19 has intensified the hunger crisis in our communities where so many people are economically vulnerable," said The Food Depot Executive Director Sherry Hooper. "The additional funding will guarantee that we can continue to deliver millions of meals to families in crisis."
As of June 12, state agencies have provided more than 11 million meals to children and youth; 1,788,665 grab and go and home delivered meals to seniors; and more than 1.9 million pounds of food to New Mexico communities most in need since the start of the pandemic.
"We strongly support Gov. Lujan Grisham's decision to open the matching fund, which triples our impact and provides new and vital resources to communities—especially Native communities—facing a high incidence of Covid-19," said Thornburg Foundation Executive Director Allan Oliver.