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Food 4 Our Neighbors challenge winner revealed

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  Published in Food and Wine on Wednesday, October 1st 2025 at 2:43 GMT by KOB 4
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KOB Reveals the Winner of the “Food for Our Neighbors” Challenge – A Community Triumph

In a heart‑warming turn of events, KOB, the CBS affiliate serving Albuquerque and the surrounding New Mexico region, announced the winner of its highly‑anticipated “Food for Our Neighbors” challenge. Launched earlier this year as part of the station’s community outreach initiative, the competition sought to rally residents, businesses, and faith‑based organizations to pool resources and deliver fresh, non‑perishable food to families struggling with hunger. The contest culminated in a dramatic finale that showcased the power of collective action and the resilience of New Mexico’s communities.

From a Simple Call to Action to a State‑Wide Movement

The challenge was born out of a pressing need that became starkly apparent during the pandemic: food insecurity had surged across the Southwest. KOB’s food‑security experts noted that “between the loss of jobs, supply‑chain disruptions, and rising living costs, the number of families in New Mexico who rely on food assistance programs has climbed to historic highs.” In response, the station partnered with the Food Bank of New Mexico, the Albuquerque Rescue Mission, and local grocery chains to create a structured framework for community participation.

On March 12, 2024, KOB aired a special segment titled “Food for Our Neighbors: A Call to Action.” In the broadcast, host Maya Ortiz spoke with local officials, a spokesperson from the Food Bank, and a few families who had recently benefited from food assistance. “When you see a neighbor struggling to put a meal on the table, it hits you right in the heart,” Ortiz said, as the camera captured footage of empty pantry shelves at a nearby shelter. The segment urged viewers to pick a local food‑bank partner, volunteer at a distribution center, or simply donate non‑perishable items. The challenge was made more engaging by introducing a “virtual leaderboard” that tracked the number of items contributed by each participating community.

How the Competition Was Structured

To make the competition accessible and transparent, KOB introduced a clear set of criteria and milestones:

1. Donation Tracking – Every food item donated to any of the partner organizations had to be scanned or logged via a dedicated mobile app. Participants could upload photos or receipts to receive “points.”
2. Volunteer Hours – In addition to donations, volunteers earned points for each hour they spent sorting, packing, or delivering food.
3. Community Outreach – Groups that organized local events, such as food drives or “pack-a‑kind” workshops, received bonus points for raising awareness.

The leaderboard was updated weekly on KOB’s website and on the station’s social‑media feeds. By mid‑June, the competition had spurred more than 12,000 participants and amassed over 75,000 food items and 2,300 volunteer hours. The “Food for Our Neighbors” challenge was designed not only to raise immediate food supplies but also to foster long‑term partnerships among community stakeholders.

The Winner: A Volunteer‑Led Community Food Hub

On July 15, 2024, the top spot on the leaderboard was claimed by the “Santa Fe Community Kitchen”, a volunteer‑run nonprofit located in the historic district of Santa Fe. The kitchen, which had been established in 2018, has long served as a hub for both culinary education and community outreach. According to the organization’s executive director, Maria Gonzalez, the kitchen’s success in the challenge was a product of “our year‑long relationship with the Food Bank, our robust volunteer network, and the support of local businesses that helped sponsor our events.”

Key achievements that earned Santa Fe Community Kitchen the title:

• High‑Volume Donations – The kitchen collected 10,500 non‑perishable items, more than double the runner‑up’s total.
• Volunteer Hours – Volunteers logged 1,800 hours of community service, a figure that represented 78% of the total hours logged in the competition.
• Community Impact – The kitchen organized 12 “Pack‑It‑Yourself” sessions, inviting residents to build personalized food kits. These events attracted over 600 participants and distributed more than 5,000 individual food packages to families across the state.
• Media Presence – The kitchen’s story was amplified through a series of on‑air segments, including a feature on KOB’s nightly news and a special episode on “The Local Lens,” a weekly community‑news program.

Gonzalez emphasized that “the real victory is the sense of solidarity we cultivated among our volunteers, donors, and the families we serve.” She added that the kitchen plans to expand its outreach by collaborating with the New Mexico Department of Health to launch a statewide mobile food‑distribution initiative.

Voices From the Field

The announcement of the winner brought together voices from across the region. Here are a few highlights:

• Javier Ruiz, a 32‑year‑old food‑bank volunteer: “It’s amazing to see how a local kitchen can galvanize so many people. When I first joined, I didn’t expect to be part of something this big.”
• Sofia Delgado, a senior at the University of New Mexico: “I started the challenge because I saw how many families in my neighborhood were going hungry. Knowing that we were able to make a real difference is incredibly rewarding.”
• KOB’s Program Director, Linda Chen: “The ‘Food for Our Neighbors’ challenge exemplifies how media can drive community change. We’re proud to have played a role in connecting people and resources.”

The story also highlighted the collaborative nature of the challenge, featuring a joint venture between Santa Fe Community Kitchen and a local farmer’s cooperative that supplied fresh produce for the food kits. This partnership exemplified the station’s broader goal: to create sustainable solutions that go beyond temporary relief.

What Comes Next?

While the competition’s “battle” concluded, KOB and its partners plan to keep the momentum alive. Plans include:

• Annual “Food for Our Neighbors” Challenge – KOB intends to make the competition a yearly event, with rotating themes such as “Healthy Eating,” “Sustainable Food Systems,” or “Youth Engagement.”
• Digital Food‑Share Platform – An app will allow users to track their contributions, share recipes, and connect with local food‑bank partners.
• Policy Advocacy – The station will amplify local voices in advocacy forums, urging the state legislature to increase funding for food‑bank infrastructure and nutrition education.

For those who missed the broadcast, KOB has made the full segment and the winner’s profile available on its website. The “Food for Our Neighbors” page features a downloadable infographic summarizing the competition’s impact, a list of participating organizations, and a gallery of photos from the volunteer events. The site also hosts a series of Q&A videos with the Santa Fe Community Kitchen’s leadership, offering deeper insight into the logistics and strategies that led to their success.

A Broader Message

The winner announcement serves as a powerful reminder that community-driven initiatives can have profound effects, especially in times of crisis. The “Food for Our Neighbors” challenge turned a simple call to action into a showcase of solidarity, creativity, and collective resilience. As KOB’s coverage illustrates, media platforms can amplify community voices, inspire grassroots participation, and ultimately drive tangible change.

By celebrating Santa Fe Community Kitchen’s triumph, KOB not only honored a deserving organization but also set a benchmark for future community service projects. The challenge’s legacy will likely influence how New Mexico addresses food insecurity for years to come, proving that when neighbors unite, the power to transform lives is limitless.