A homeless man shuffles through the door to receive his daily lunch: a turkey sandwich, bag of chips and strawberry pudding. He reaches for a bar of soap and bashfully asks, “Do you have a coat?”
A woman behind the counter at the nonprofit Bienvenidos Outreach Inc. smiles and points to a rack of clothing behind him, from which he selects a blue-and-white striped shirt that’s far too large and a purple zip-up that’s a bit too small.
“Perfect,” he said as he pulls his arms through the sleeves, layering the garments.
Another Bienvenidos volunteer emerges from a back room, holding a hat and gloves.
The man reaches out for them; he seems embarrassed by his dirty fingertips. But the woman tenderly takes his hand.
“Take care of yourself,” she said. “God bless you.”
Stunned, the man said, “Thank you, thank you.” As walks out into the blistering cold, he repeats these words of gratitude: “Thank you, thank you.”
Bienvenidos Outreach, a food pantry at 1511 Fifth St., has been providing food, clothing and other goods to low-income families and homeless people in Santa Fe for nearly 30 years.
Even more important, volunteers say, is their effort to provide the love and respect these vulnerable residents typically don’t experience in their day-to-day lives.
“It’s like family,” said Susan Tarver, executive director of Bienvenidos Outreach. “… Some places are just in and out, but it isn’t like that [here]. We really get to know the people who come in. They’re not looked at as have-nots.”
The number of homeless people who visit Bienvenidos tends to drop during the holidays — primarily because they migrate to warmer climates, Tarver said. But the number of low-income families provided with food baskets nearly doubles between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, from about 800 to 1,400 or 1,500 per month.
Throughout the year, each family registered to receive a food basket is allowed up to two packages per month. Each basket weighs between 35 and 50 pounds and is packed with items such as lentils, dried cherries, eggs and avocados.
“We try to give the healthiest food we can,” said veteran volunteer Roger Marroquin. “If something doesn’t look right, we don’t serve it to them.”
Food items are donated to the nonprofit from partners such as Trader Joe’s, Sprouts, Starbucks and the Eldorado Farmers’ Market. Just over half the goods Bienvenidos distributes come from the Food Depot, a regional food bank based in Santa Fe, and community members who want to help.
Oftentimes, the baskets will include cakes from Chocolate Maven or flowers from Trader Joe’s — too wilted to for the store to sell but fresh enough to brighten families’ homes.
“Just because people are poor doesn’t mean they don’t appreciate flowers,” said Joe Shain, a high-energy volunteer who is often found at Bienvenidos high-fiving visitors, opening doors, cracking jokes and giving hugs.
To Tarver, the volunteers are what set the food pantry apart.
From Monday to Thursday each week, about 10 volunteers work at the nonprofit, scurrying to prepare baskets; greet visitors; hand out lunches; check in guests; organize items in storage; and collect donations of houseware items, clothing, knitted caps and socks.
As those in need come in for aid, volunteers call them by their first names, or greet them as “brother” or “friend.”
The kindness does not go unnoticed.
“The people here accept everybody,” said April Willis, a single mother who said she and her son depend on the biweekly food baskets from Bienvenidos. “When they have flowers,” she added, “it makes you feel extra welcomed and loved.”
During November and December, Tarver said, the pantry distributes about $3,000 worth of $10 vouchers to Food King. Those who don’t get vouchers receive a turkey or ham. The idea, Tarver said, is to make sure no one misses out on a holiday meal.
Bienvenidos tries to include mini pumpkin pies or other festive treats in bagged lunches handed out to members of the homeless community.
The organization also collaborates with other nonprofits to host a Christmas program, in which every child registered to participate receives two gifts. More than 300 families have signed up so far this year, Tarver said; she expects to distribute between 800 and 1,200 gifts.
Volunteers say their work at the nonprofit, what some call the “best kept secret in Santa Fe” for those in need, is rewarding.
“It’s very humbling for me, because I’ve been in that situation not too long ago,” Marroquin said, adding that homelessness or poverty “can happen to anybody.”
“For the majority of them, it’s just bad luck,” added fellow volunteer Cis Lopez.
While Tarver said she always felt a call to give, she’s also conflicted about her career.
“There shouldn’t be a job title to help people find food,” she said. “That should be a basic human right.”
