Our History
Comedor de San Pascual Soup Kitchen is an independent non-profit 501(c)3 organization. Comedor is incorporated. Its purpose is to provide free community evening meals and food pantry bags to consumers, and to coordinate volunteer activities and outreach to other non-profit organizations in the communities of Las Vegas and San Miguel County.
Comedor is a grassroots free food charity for the community of Las Vegas, New Mexico. It began as an extension of a free Thursday noon lunch offering by the First United Methodist Church. Bonnie Bolton was instrumental in working with the City of Las Vegas to gain access to the city's Senior Center. In the fall of 2010, the name "Comedor de San Pascual — the Kitchen of Saint Pascual" was chosen, and an all-volunteer staff began preparing and serving anywhere from 20 to 60 meals every Monday afternoon.
The original intention of Comedor was to provide not only a nutritious meal but fellowship while dining. The OLOS Catholic Church Parish Hall provided a pleasant dining room, and community members would often bring music or other celebratory activities to the twice-weekly meals. In 2020, COVID-19 changed all that — meals moved to carry-out, with necessary hygienic procedures observed, and the serving of meals was never interrupted. Soon after, the massive Calf Canyon–Hermit's Peak fire in the spring of 2022 created more community needs and concerns. Because of Comedor's reputation for community involvement and well-conducted operations, donations poured in for fire victim relief — Bonnie Bolton took it upon herself to do grassroots distribution of those funds as gift certificates and small freezers, to help keep families' food needs met.
Today, Comedor still offers two hot prepared meals a week to the community out of the Parish Hall. Carry-out meals served have grown to about 175 a day. When the move away from the Senior Center happened, it became clear that many families couldn't always meet their nutritional needs between the twice-weekly meals — so distribution of non-perishable food bags began. Comedor now prepares and gives out nearly 150 six-pound food bags every week, in addition to the carry-out meals.
The continued success of Comedor can be directly attributed to its volunteers and community involvement. There are no paid members or staff. Bonnie Bolton can be credited for this selfless giving of time, talent, and funding — she, herself, was the example we all follow. Tragically, in the winter of 2024, Bonnie died when her house caught fire and was completely destroyed. In tribute, Comedor thrives as she taught us: the volunteers carry forward the leadership and love she left us all. Comedor volunteers are a joyful group who benefit just as much from the work and fellowship as those who are fed. Comedor is not connected to any outside agency or group. It does not discriminate in any way, and has become a well-known and respected part of the Las Vegas community.
Comedor thanks all who support and sustain us. We collaborate with local and state agencies and businesses. We protect the identities and information of our friends in need, and keep no personal records or rely on sources that require such information.
— Ken Krusemark