Community Blog
Posted by The MolinaCares Accord

Molina Healthcare of New Mexico Supporting the Community with KRQE Cares

In 2022, Molina Healthcare of New Mexico and The MolinaCares Accord had the privilege to partner with KRQE Cares to support kids and families within our communities across the state.  Across the state, 87% of New Mexico’s public and charter schools receive Title I funding to help care for low-income students. Learn more about the programs Molina supported and participated in this year as a part of Molina’s commitment to giving back to these children and their families.

Shoes for Kids

With the support of KRQE viewers and sponsors like Molina Healthcare of New Mexico, the KRQE Cares Shoes for Kids program donated over 3,000 pairs of shoes to children in need since 2022. Donations were used to purchase shoes and socks that Molina volunteers distributed to children at 13 schools, including Moriarty Elementary School, East San Jose Elementary School, McKinley Middle School, and more. Excited students delivered handwritten cards, thanking the organization for their brand-new shoes!

KRQE Cares Phone Bank

In partnership with KRQE Cares, Molina Healthcare of New Mexico was honored to participate in two phone banks to raise money in support of Shoes for Kids. Buffie Saavedra from Molina Healthcare of New Mexico stopped by New Mexico Living to provide details about the Phone Bank program and encourage viewers to call in to donate to the fantastic program.

If you would like to help provide athletic shoes to kids in Title I schools follow this link here.

Food For Kids

Supporting families and kids in our communities remains a top priority. In New Mexico, over 270,000 people are facing hunger, and 99,100 are children. That means 1 in 5 children face hunger. Molina was proud to collaborate with KRQE and the Title 1 McKinney-Vento Program to support Food for Kids, an initiative that is serving over 4,000 families without a permanent residence by collecting food, diapers, and other essentials. Collection boxes were placed at Smith’s Food and Drug locations, where food donations were sorted and dropped off at McKinney-Vento for distribution to local area food banks.

Books for Kids

The 2021 Kids Count Data Book for New Mexico found that 76% of fourth graders and 79% of eighth graders are not proficient in reading. Summer reading programs are beneficial to a child’s education and comprehension. Hence, Molina was thrilled to support Books for Kids, a summer program that encourages students in low-income areas to read during the summer and throughout the year. With Molina’s support, KRQE joined APS Storytime in the Park to distribute over 1,800 new books to children in June and July.