St Marys Food Bank On Track To Break All
PHOENIX — As inflation has hit many across the state, Arizonans are turning to food banks in times of need. St. Marys Food Bank is on track to break an all-time monthly record for families served, heading toward 150,000 families helped in August. The Knight Center facility near 31st Avenue and Thomas Road has served over 25,000 families this month alone.
Arizonas Family was at the food bank on Thursday morning, where four lines of cars were wrapped around the building. Volunteers were packing up fresh vegetables, drinks, bread and pantry foods. Then, they began filling shopping carts with food boxes and bringing them out to peoples cars.
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The food bank says its the highest number of families served for any month in its 55-year history. The would-be record beats out distributions during COVID-19, where unemployment skyrocketed in the country. It also beats out the annual holiday food drives, where people are waiting in long lines for Thanksgiving meals. During the pandemic, we saw an incredible number of people coming to us for help, and that started to get better. Now, its starting to climb again with this inflation. Never dreamed we would be here less than a year, and were back in the same situation where we have people coming to us asking for help, said Tom Kertis, St. Marys Food Bank president and CEO.
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Atlantic Gold Donation Catches Food Bank Off Guard
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ST. MARYS Though publicly tagged to receive a multi-thousand-dollar donation from Atlantic Gold, St. Marys District Food Bank had no idea it was in line until The Journal left a message to that effect in its voice mail last week, says the charitys spokesperson.
The Halifax-based subsidiary of Australian mineral conglomerate St. Barbara Limited announced on Tuesday it was donating over $20,000 of food largely nonperishable, packaged staples to the Musquodoboit Valley Food Bank Society, the Gerald Hardy Memorial Society in Sheet Harbour, and the Sherbrooke-based St. Marys District Food Bank.
But while the companys film crews and camera operators were already assembling to document its giveaway in Sheet Harbour on Friday, St. Marys Food Bank representative and United Church Minister Derek Ellsworth said in an interview, Our board met yesterday, and nobody had heard anything regarding a donation. Im just talking about it now.
Pointedly, when interviewed just after the announcement, Atlantic Golds Communications Manager Dustin OLeary confirmed, as Sherbrooke and Sheet Harbour are close to those spots where we are permitting to operate in the future, we want to make sure that the donations are helping those who need it in those communities.
Perhaps, he speculated, the company wanted to keep the recent St. Marys news low-key, adding Maybe they thought we wouldnt have agreed to the .
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Is The Government Still Assisting St Marys
We still have the National Guard here, and they are distributing food for us. In fact, they were building emergency food boxes this morning, because the number of volunteers it had picked up during the holidays but its now dropped down again during January, so we didnt have enough people to go through boxes. The guard was helping us out.
Weve also received financial assistance, both from the federal government and from the state of Arizona, to help us. One of the things that weve instituted with that money is a delivery service for our seniors. Our folks who cant leave the house are folks who are afraid to come to the food bank. They havent received their vaccinations yet, they want to make sure that they stay safe.
It was a $600,000 grant that was given by the state of Arizona, and weve been able to institute that. Weve jumped the number of people that we deliver food to from about 1,100 a month to about 4,000 a month, with an eye towards increasing that total until everyone gets vaccinated. This is a very dangerous time, especially for our seniors, and we want to make sure that theyre able to receive the food they need without risking themselves.
If you have somebody who can take you to the food bank, somebody who can pick up food for you, we would much rather use that ability. But if you have no other choice,we do have an option now where we can get the food to you.
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What Was That Experience Like
I dont really know how to explain or describe it. Literally everything weve had to do at the food bank underwent an entire transformation. We couldnt do everything, anything the way that we had done it before, we had to add all kinds of safety protocols.
We had to get food to people in different areas. We went from distributing the food at the food bank to distributing them in the parking lots of sports stadiums. And expanding our mobile pantries just to try to get food out to folks who need it. The amount of people that came to the food bank tripled in just 30 days.
About March of last year, we were seeing about 600 people across the street a day at our main location. We have hundreds of them across the Valley in this one particular location that jumped to 1,500 people in just a few weeks. We had to really pull together.
At the same time that we did, the volunteers that we rely on to help us distribute that food almost disappeared from folks who are afraid to come and people who were part of companies or part of conventions that werent coming to Arizona anymore. We had to come up with an entirely new way to distribute that food. This is done through walkups, drive-thrus and food delivery.
National Guardsmen load the bed of a truck with supplies from St. Marys Food Bank in west Phoenix.
What Can People Do To Help The Food Bank Donate Time Money And Food
Volunteers. Again, were serving 1,000 families a day. That means we need a box of food for 4,000 people a day. This is why volunteers are very important. We have two volunteer shifts a day. One starts at 9 a.m. and one starts at 1 p.m. they last about 90 minutes, and you will box hundreds, if not thousands, of emergency food boxes.
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St Marys Food Bank Ready To Help After Maricopa Food Pantry Was Destroyed In Fire
A warehouse stocked with pasta and bread in Phoenix holds more than just a few items on a grocery list. Its a lifeline for the Arizona families who are choosing which bills to pay. The rising price of gas. The rising price of rent. The rising price of food, said Jerry Brown with St. Marys Food Bank. Thats hurting everybody. But if youre the person whos on the edge, that pushes you over the edge.
Brown says because of the fire that destroyed more than 50,000 pounds of food at a pantry in Maricopa, it had to cancel orders set to go out this morning. St. Marys provides the Maricopa Food Pantry with more than half of its donations, according to Brown. Buildings you can replace. Food you can replace. People you cant, he said, thankful at least no one was hurt.
St. Marys works with more than 800 partners a year. The nonprofit is ready to donate food, equipment, even a mobile food pantry to the so-called food desert in Maricopa. Thats an area where food is hard to get ahold of. Not very many grocery stores and when youre food insecure and youre relying on a food bank, theres not another one down the block you can go to.
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La Despensa De Alimentos De Iglesia Santa Mara
Sadly, there is a high number of people in our city that require food assistance. We are regularly serving over 100 families a month.
All are welcome at the food pantry at St. Mary Church, which is open on the first & third Mondays of each month from 5 to 7 p.m. and on the first & third Wednesdays of each month from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. A name, address and phone number are asked of everyone who comes for help.
If a person needs food assistance when our food pantry is closed, please contact our parish office, 423 First St. NW, tel. 616.459.7390, to see if we are able to assist you.
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Frequently Asked Questions And Answers
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What are people saying about food banks near 2831 N 31st Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85009?
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“I get the senior commodities food box every month. You get more than the box of food. Usually in the package is fruits, can vegetables and fresh, milk, juice, pasta, meats, rice, beans, cereals, cheese, sweets, and bread. Friendly staff and hard working cheerful volunteers. One of these days I’m going to join them for a 2-hour tour of St. Mary’s Food Bank. I also plan on helping them pack food boxes with other supporters. When I have a few extra dollars I’ll donate it to St. Mary’s Food Bank.”
% Of All Donations Received At St
St marys food bank donation. Marys food bank is serving the community of mississauga by providing food, meals and other services through its three locations. Marys food bank town hall december 2020 december 3, 2020 At this time, please use the front door.
Read octobers newsletter november 12, 2020 Marys food bank is a 501 nonprofit organization. 7th street lorain, oh 44052
Thank you for your support! 14th annual super saturday turkey drive november 3, 2020 Marys distributed nearly 3 million pounds of food by:
If you are a corporation or local grocery store wishing to donate food to one of st. Vincent depaul soup kitchen, serving dinner to those in need when. Marys food bank three locations please fill out the form below and one of our volunteers will contact you as soon as possible to work out a drop off or pick up time.
Serving more than 162,000 household visits. Parking is available at the st. You may donate via pay pal or credit card via the donate button below.
Arizona charitable tax credit guide 2020 december 10, 2020 Foods recently partnered with st. Map the location, find hours open, donation details, and more about st marys food pantry below.
Your donation also goes towards buying food to support our food pantries and soup kitchens. The moscow food bank has been open to all in need since 1981. Marys food bank arizona charitable tax credit guide for more information about az tax credits for charitable donations.
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Does St Marys Need More Volunteers
As youre well aware, the state of Arizona has one of the highest incidences of COVID in the country, if not the world. Again, the number of people that would come to the food bank started to tick up again. We did have a respite, during the summer June, July and August.
Were definitely 25 to 30% more than we had seen the previous year, but not on the same scale that we had seen through the spring months and allowed us to kind of catch our breath, and get ready for the next surge. Sure enough, that surge came during the holiday season. The good news is weve been able to provide food for every family that is struggling.
The reason that weve been able to do that is because the people of Phoenix and the people of Arizona have been so generous when it comes to the food bank understanding that this is something that they need to help with, understanding that there are people that they know, or people in their family, even, that need the food banks help right now. Theres a line of cars around the block at the food bank today.
Some people load their own food in designated parking spots at St. Marys Food Bank in west Phoenix.
Event Coming Up This Weekend
St. Marys Food Bank will hold its 17h annual Super Saturday Turkey Driveon Saturday, Nov. 19 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Food Bank locations in Phoenix and Surprise as well as 19
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Whats A Situation That Broke Your Heart
had worked at the same company for 25 years thought she was going to retire from there after working for another 20 years. And she was furloughed for a few months told that they would bring her back when things improved. She went through all of her savings during that time that she was furloughed, thinking that she would get her job back and be able to rebuild.
She got the call to come back and a week before she was expected to go back to work, the company closed the stores for good. She did not have a job that she thought she would have for the next 20 years. As we were loading food into the back of a car, she had resumes in the back seat of her car, trying to find a new job. You just realize the incredible impact this has had on people who never thought that they would be in this situation.
People who had been people who donated to the food bank or spent time volunteering at the food bank were now on the other side of the line receiving the food.
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About St Marys Food Bank Alliance
St. Marys Food Bank serves to alleviate hunger through the gathering and distribution of food while encouraging self-sufficiency, collaboration, advocacy and education.
St. Marys Food Bank is truly a community-based organization. Individual donors, corporate donors, and private grants help feed hungry individuals and families in our area. Serving 9 of Arizonas 15 counties, we are committed to volunteerism, building community relationships and improving the quality of life for Arizonans in need.
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St Marys Food Bank Collecting Citrus Donations Through April
PHOENIX Got any extra oranges, grapefruits, tangerines or lemons? St. Marys Food Bank will gladly take them off your hands to help feed hungry families in the Valley.
The nonprofit has started accepting citrus donations at its food bank locations in Phoenix and Surprise through April 30.
Those who would like to donate their extra fruit can do so from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays in the bins marked for citrus outside both locations, according to a press release, or be offloaded from cars, trucks and trailers with help from employees of the nonprofit.
The food bank also said it is hosting drop-off opportunities on Saturdays in the citrus-rich locations of Sun City and Arcadia from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. through the month of February.
St. Marys Food Bank will accept citrus donations in Arcadia on Feb. 5, 12 and 19 at Shepherd of the Hills United Church of Christ and on Feb. 5 and 12 in Sun City at Desert Garden United Church of Christ
More information about how to help can be found on the St. Marys Food Bank website.
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How Would You Describe The Past Year
The impact in the community and the need for food has skyrocketed here in Arizona.
Weve been around for 53 years, and we have never seen a year like 2020 when it comes to the amount of food that we distributed and the ways that we have had to come up with to distribute that food. We averaged 10 million pounds a month distributed.
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