Family Dinner Nights Strengthen Food Security and Community in Taos

Many Taos Municipal Schools families were facing increased food insecurity due to rising costs and reduced SNAP benefits, creating challenges not only in accessing nutritious meals but also in finding the time and resources to prepare food at home. As the Community Schools Coordinator heard directly from students about these struggles, she recognized an opportunity to address both food access and family engagement simultaneously.

Working with existing food deliveries from The Food Depot of Santa Fe, she developed an idea to host shared family dinners at school—providing prepared meals while strengthening connections among families, students, and school support staff.

LOR’s funding helped Taos High School purchase fresh produce, dining supplies, and gas cards for volunteers to launch bi-weekly Family Dinner Nights at the EDU @ Work Café. Each event will serve 50–75 participants, offering both a shared meal and take-home food boxes with ingredients and recipes to encourage cooking at home. Community School Navigators will be present to connect families with additional resources and support services, and student and parent volunteers will gain experience preparing and serving meals.

This pilot program will help reduce food insecurity while building trust and deeper engagement between families and the school community.

This project is fiscally sponsored by Downtown Taos.