City to Receive 2025 Audrey Nelson Award for Casa de Peregrinos Food Pantry Expansion

The City of Las Cruces will be recognized at this year’s National Community Development Association (NCDA) conference in Washington, DC for the role it played in the expansion of the Casa de Peregrinos Food Pantry using Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds. The City will receive the Audrey Nelson Award on February 7, 2025. The award was named after Audrey Nelson, the first Deputy Executive Secretary of NCDA, to recognize exemplary use of CDBG funds which address the needs of low-moderate income families, homes and neighborhoods. The award celebrates her legacy and the impactful work of organizations that continue her mission of creating stronger, more equitable communities.

Casa de Peregrinos grew from a small food pantry in 1979 and quickly became a vital resource for families facing food insecurity. This community resource has helped keep food on the tables of those in need for more than 40 years. It now operates within the City’s Community of Hope campus, a collaboration of programs and services housed within the same block to meet the needs of the financially challenged. Programs include El Caldito Soup Kitchen, Amador Health Center, Jardin de Los Niños, and the Mesilla Valley Community of Hope.

Just five years ago Casa de Peregrinos was distributing more than 4.7 million pounds of food, far beyond what it could accommodate from its original 4000 square foot space. It was in desperate need of expansion to keep up with the needs of the growing community. Through the strategic use of Community Development Block Grant monies, the City of Las Cruces assisted in expanding the building to what is now a 12,212 square foot facility.

Construction began in 2022 and a year later was complete, tripling the pantry space and allowing for drive up services, shared community space and a demonstration kitchen to provide education on nutritious affordable meals.

“What an honor to receive the 2025 Audrey Nelson Award for our Food Pantry that is a lifeline for thousands of people across our County,” said Natalie Green, Housing and Neighborhood Revitalization Administrator. “For years, our community partners have collaborated tirelessly to uplift the lives of our most vulnerable—those experiencing homelessness, poverty, and hardship. Today, we are better equipped than ever to meet the needs of our community con cariño. I look forward to the future growth and additional opportunities ahead.”

The growth of Casa de Peregrinos immediately allowed for service to 14 percent more clients in our area and a distribution of more than 1 million additional pounds of food to be distributed.

The City strategically used $350,000 in CDBG grant funds in combination with nearly $4 million in funding from the New Mexico State Legislature and an additional $3.75 million from the Telshor Facility Fund to build this project from the ground up.

Other award recipients include the City of Tuscaloosa, City of Detroit, Pasco County, FL, City of Orlando, FL, Columbus Consolidated Government and City of Albuquerque, NM.