Bienvenidos Outreach Executive Director Susan Tarver didn’t plan to lead the non-profit that has served Santa Fe since 1989 with food, clothing, holiday gifts, and a seasonal farmers market. She spent more than 30 years in international trade and transport. In 2006, she and her late husband moved from San Francisco to Santa Fe so they could spend his final days near her parents and sister.
“Then I started volunteering as a delivery driver with Bienvenidos. I liked that the organization was focused on increasing access to fresh food,” Tarver recalls.
How Bienvenidos Outreach Lends a Hand to New Mexico
Tarver gradually increased her volunteer hours at Bienvenidos, which supports the unhoused, food-insecure, and vulnerable in the community. She also got involved with the Eldorado Farmers Market, taking it upon herself to revive it after the original market closed in 2008. When the retiring executive director suggested she replace her, Tarver did. She convinced the board to take over the market to raise funds and further boost access to fresh food. Today, market proceeds support programs like Smart Breakfasts=Smart Kids, and healthy eating initiatives for seniors, and those with medical conditions. Eldorado Farmers Market also functions as a food distribution hub, along with La Familia Medical Center.
Since assuming leadership, Tarver has overseen growth from two paid staff to six, and a budget just under $500,000. Around 50 volunteers coordinate the twice-monthly food pantry, distribute 500 food boxes weekly, and serve daily lunches to the unhoused. In 2025, Bienvenidos distributed 800 holiday gifts to 1,600 children.
Funding comes from private donors, foundations, corporations, municipalities, and the United Way. Local farmers, churches, supermarkets, and large food pantries like Food Depot supply fresh produce. Two years ago, the organization received a grant for indoor hydroponic gardens, enabling more than 400 units to be distributed to schools, agencies, and individuals.
In 2024, Bienvenidos received the Santa Fe Community Foundation’s Tried & True Piñon Award for its long service to the community.
“We ask clients for ideas on how to improve their lives. That’s why we’ve expanded from just providing food and clothing to helping people feel equal. During COVID, we added a pet food program so people wouldn’t have to give up their pets,” Tarver says. “We’re also launching blood pressure monitoring and no smoking/vaping programs, and ‘date night’ – a night out at a restaurant for those who don’t usually go out to dinner, so they can feel like everyone else. We’re not just a food pantry anymore.”
Story by Kelly Koepke
Photos Courtesy of Bienvenidos Outreach
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