A Helping Hand

Safety comes in so many different forms. On the mountain, our Ski Patrol and Mountain Operations teams are some of the best in the business and they work long, taxing hours to provide our guests with as much peace of mind as possible. Now that the season is over, there are others in our community in need of that consistency and a sense of security. And so, when the schools were forced to shut down due to concerns about the potential spread of COVID-19, it became apparent that there was going to be a void when it came to the dietary needs of our local school children. Luckily, the schools quickly put together a breakfast and lunch curbside pickup plan that ensured children still had the opportunity to get much needed meals. The spokeswoman for the program explained the importance, saying “A hungry child cannot learn. Student Nutrition Programs make a difference in the lives of many students/children through the service of school meals. For many children the daily breakfast and lunch serves as a lifeline. Every volunteer is unique and their commitment is valuable to the Student Nutrition Program during this time. It has given the staff in our program a gift of support from our community.”

When volunteers were called upon to help with the distribution, members of both the Taos Ski Valley Ski Patrol and the Operations teams quickly shifted from the mountain to our town to offer any assistance they could. Over the past few weeks, the teams have worked with both the Enos Garcia Elementary School and the Taos Middle School to help the staff hand out food to families in need.

Recently, seven members of Ski Patrollers and Mountain Ops handed out more than 300 meals at their distribution site, while the other site handed out another 300. When asked to share his sentiments, Alex Filiss, Director of Ski Patrol, said, “In the scheme of things, it's a pretty small and simple thing that we do there, and yet it feels huge. It is a total privilege for us on the Patrol to be able to play a bit role on those lunch ladies' team. They are the unsung heroes, putting out meal after meal day after day, season after season and year after year. Especially now, when so many others are hunkered down at home being safe. The love that those ladies show for the children who drive up and the appreciation shown by the kids and parents who get their two meals for the day really brings home the importance and beauty of living and sharing in our community of Taos County and the Ski Valley.”

So far, our team is signed up to participate on Wednesday and Fridays during this trying time. We are forever grateful to the Taos Ski Valley family for everything they do, on and off the mountain. For more information on the sack meal program, please visit www.taosschools.org. The Student Nutrition Program is planning on increasing the volume from 3 buses to 13 buses on April 14th to keep up with demand. If you would like to volunteer, please contact Nickie McCarty at nickie.mccarty@taosschools.org.