St. Mary's Food Bank is on Arizona's food insecurity front line. How you can help
Corrections & Clarifications: The year St. Mary's Food Bank was established was incorrect in an earlier version of this article.
St. Mary's Food Bank has worked to create a hunger-free Arizona since 1967 and is a staple of The Arizona Republic's Season for Sharing grant program. The nonprofit has regularly received Season for Sharing contributions since The Republic's annual campaign to help Arizonans in need launched in 1993.
St. Mary's Food Bank fights food insecurity in two-thirds of Maricopa County and northern Arizona and serves other areas of the state through partnerships with other Feeding America food banks. The organization helps at least 700,000 people each year and works with more than 800 partner agencies to ensure no one has to drive far to get sustenance.
St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance received $25,000 from the 2022-23 Season for Sharing campaign. It was one of more than 150 Arizona nonprofits that received $1.6 million from readers of The Arizona Republic.
The organization used its Season for Sharing contribution to assemble and distribute boxes and backpacks of food to low-income Arizonans and people recovering from crisis situations like fires and job layoffs. The Season for Sharing grant provided 125,000 meals, according to the organization.
St. Mary's Food Bank's responses to The Republic's questionnaire have been edited for length and clarity.
What are your organization’s greatest needs?
St. Mary’s current needs are for financial support and food donations so it can continue to meet the growing need for food assistance. Skyrocketing costs for food, housing and other basics are causing many low-income Arizonans to tap into their food budgets for non-food needs, putting them at risk of hunger. As a result, the number of people coming to St. Mary’s and its partner agencies for food assistance has been increasing rapidly over the past year. The number of visits to St. Mary’s two warehouses in Phoenix and Surprise increased 53% from fiscal year 2022 to 2023. St. Mary's fiscal year runs from July 1 to June 30. Overall, the total amount of food distributed increased by 19%, from 102.3 million pounds in 2022 to 121.7 million pounds in 2023. If inflation is not reduced, we expect to distribute at least 124.6 pounds of food in fiscal year 2024.
Are there any projects your organization is working on that you want the public to know about?
St. Mary’s offers a program to help homeless and formerly incarcerated adults gain the skills needed to find a job in a career that offers advances and raises so they can become financially secure and obtain — and maintain — housing. Through the program, people can participate in our Community Kitchen or LIFT training activities. The former prepares them for a career in the food and catering industries, and the latter prepares them for a variety of warehouse jobs. Over the past year, 408 people participated in the Community Kitchen program, and 104 participated in LIFT. Of those participants, 330 graduated from Community Kitchen and 81 from LIFT. Of the grads, 89% became employed, and the average starting wage was $17.56 per hour.
What inspires the work of your organization?
The people we serve every day inspire our work. We are humbled by the number of people we meet every day who are dealing with, or overcame, significant adversity to keep their families together. We have heard countless stories of grandparents who took in their grandchildren despite their living on a fixed income. We have met many people who were unexpectedly laid off and found themselves choosing between paying a bill and buying food. Many adults have told us their stories of struggling to deal with a significant illness or injury and having trouble getting enough to eat due to high medical bills. The common denominator among these people is that they came to St. Mary’s or one of our partner agencies to receive food assistance when they needed help. We see people like this every day at our warehouses when they come to get food for themselves and their family members. They are so grateful for the food and the people who donate to St. Mary’s to help them. It truly is our honor to be able to serve them.
Donate to Season for Sharing
Since 1993, because of readers like you, The Arizona Republic's Season for Sharing campaign has raised and given away more than $73 million to Arizona nonprofits. Please help The Republic continue supporting our neighbors in need.
Where does the money go?
When you give to Season for Sharing, you're contributing to nonprofits that help teachers and students, aid older Arizonans and support struggling children and families. The Republic pays all administrative costs, so 100% of donations go back to the community.
Ways to give
Fill out the secure online form at sharing.azcentral.com.
Text “SHARING” to 91-999 and click on the link in the text message.
Go online at facebook.com/seasonforsharing and look for the featured “DONATE HERE” post.
Clip the coupon on Page 4A of The Arizona Republic, fill it out and mail it to P.O. Box 29250, Phoenix, AZ 85038-9250.
Scan the QR code with your smartphone camera, and click on the link to donate.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Rising costs mean more people need St. Mary's Food Bank. How to help
