El Caldito Soup Kitchen
Our singular purpose is to offer a well-prepared and nutritious mid-day meal free of charge to hungry and disadvantaged persons in our community without regard to race, color, religion, gender, handicap, national origin, age, marital, or veteran status. Hunger is our sole criterion.
We are an allied agency of the Mesilla Valley Community Of Hope which offers a variety of essential homeless services. This includes a free medical clinic, a food bank, a child care center and social services.
El Caldito serves a hot nutritious meal 5 days a week and a sack lunch on Saturday, addressing the nutritional needs in preparing meals that include generous amount of meats, vegetables, fruits, milk, salads and bread. We also serve traditional holiday meals at Thanksgiving and Christmas and a "Veterans' Appreciation Dinner" in June---all at no cost to the recipient. We serve the homeless and near homeless in this community.
Volunteers perform all the tasks necessary to the smooth operation of the soup kitchen. There are two part-time employees, a kitchen manager and custodian.
Much of the food we serve is donated provisions from community grocers, growers bakeries and others. In addition to grants, much of our income is generated by donations from churches, individuals and our only fundraiser, the annual Empty Bowls event, which is widely supported by community restaurants and the local potter's guild.
We are fully integrated with and supported by our community as well as being an integral component of the system for delivering essential services to the homeless and near-homeless person of Las Cruces.
1984