St Marys Food Bank Alliance

ALLEVIATE HUNGER THROUGH THE GATHERING AND DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD.

ST. MARY'S FOOD BANK DISTRIBUTES EMERGENCY FOOD BOXES (EFBS), AT NO COST, TO INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES IN NEED. EFBS ARE DESIGNED TO PROVIDE TEMPORARY FOOD ASSISTANCE FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THE MIDST OF, OR RECOVERING FROM, A CRISIS, SUCH AS A FIRE, FLOOD, UNEXPECTED JOB LAYOFF, SERIOUS INJURY OR ILLNESS. A MAJORITY OF THOSE RECEIVING EFBS ARE LOW-INCOME INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES, INCLUDING THOSE WHO ARE ELDERLY AND HOMELESS, BECAUSE THEY DO NOT HAVE FINANCIAL SAVINGS TO HELP THEM WHILE THEY RECOVER. ST. MARY'S 700+ PARTNER AGENCIES RECEIVE THE EFBS AND DISTRIBUTE THEM TO PEOPLE IN NEED WITHIN THEIR COMMUNITIES. EACH EFB PROVIDES A THREE-DAY SUPPLY OF NUTRITIOUS FOOD, WHICH PROVIDES A HELPING HAND WHILE PEOPLE RECOVER AND NO LONGER NEED FOOD ASSISTANCE. ST. MARY'S DISTRIBUTED NEARLY 550,000 EFBS DURING THE YEAR AND AN ADDITIONAL 22,000+ TRIBAL FOOD BOXES.AGENCY SHOPPING AND SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY DISTRIBUTIONS: ST. MARY'S PROVIDES PERISHABLE AND NON-PERISHABLE FOOD, FREE OF CHARGE, TO HUNDREDS OF LOCAL AGENCIES THAT, IN TURN, PROVIDE FOOD TO THEIR CLIENTS (INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES IN NEED THROUGHOUT ARIZONA). MORE THAN 102 MILLION POUNDS OF FOOD WERE DISTRIBUTED DURING THE YEAR, INCLUDING NEARLY 34 MILLION POUNDS OF FRESH PRODUCE AND MORE THAN 16,000 HOLIDAY TURKEYS AND FAMILY MEALS.MOBILE PANTRIES: NOT EVERYONE CAN COME TO A ST. MARY'S FOOD BANK LOCATION FOR EMERGENCY BOXES, SO THE AGENCY EXPANDED ITS EFFORTS TO BRING THE FOOD BANK TO THEM. DRIVE PAST A CERTAIN PRIMARY SCHOOL IN PHOENIX ONE WEDNESDAY EACH MONTH, AND YOU WILL SEE A ST. MARY'S FOOD BANK TRUCK, ALONG WITH PALLETS OF FRUITS, VEGETABLES, AND BREAD WITH DOZENS OF NEIGHBORHOOD FAMILIES AWAITING THIS MUCH-NEEDED, NUTRITIOUS FOOD. THIS SCENE IS PLAYING OUT IN COUNTLESS COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT ARIZONA AS THE ST. MARY'S MOBILE PANTRY PROGRAM, WHICH CONTINUES TO GROW IN BOTH RURAL AND URBAN LOCATIONS, BRINGS FOOD DIRECTLY TO NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE GREATEST NEED. ST. MARY'S PROVIDED MORE THAN 12.2 MILLION POUNDS OF FOOD THROUGH THIS PROGRAM.BACKPACK PROGRAM: THE BACKPACK PROGRAM PROVIDES "CHRONICALLY HUNGRY" ARIZONA CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES WITH NON-PERISHABLE FOOD, PRIMARILY MEALS THAT KIDS CAN TAKE HOME AND EAT ON WEEKENDS WHEN NOT IN SCHOOL. ST. MARY'S DISTRIBUTED 121,660 BACKPACKS DURING FISCAL YEAR 2021-2022. SOURCE DISTRIBUTION: SOURCE DISTRIBUTION IS A VOLUME-BUYING SERVICE OFFERED BY ST. MARY'S FOOD BANK TO ITS PARTNER AGENCY ORGANIZATIONS. BY PURCHASING IN TRUCKLOAD QUANTITIES, ST. MARY'S CAN PROCURE POPULAR FOOD ITEMS, WHICH ARE NOT NORMALLY AVAILABLE AS DONATIONS, AT WHOLESALE PRICES AND PASS THE SAVINGS ON TO ITS AGENCIES.

ST. MARY'S FOOD BANK SKILLS CENTER. FOR 20 YEARS, ST. MARY'S HAS CONDUCTED A VERY SUCCESSFUL WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM CALLED COMMUNITY KITCHEN THAT PREPARES PEOPLE WHO ARE IN POVERTY AND HAVE BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT FOR RESTAURANT CAREERS. HOWEVER, PANDEMIC-RELATED SOCIAL DISTANCING AND OTHER ISSUES DECREASED THE NUMBER OF RESTAURANT-RELATED JOBS AVAILABLE IN THE VALLEY. AS A RESULT, WE BEGAN LOOKING AT OTHER INDUSTRIES IN NEED OF WORKERS THAT WE CAN TRAIN. ST. MARY'S HAS TWO LARGE WAREHOUSES AND DOZENS OF WORKERS TO RECEIVE, STORE AND PREPARE MILLIONS OF TONS OF FOOD FOR DISTRIBUTION EACH YEAR. ST. MARY'S HAS DECADES OF EXPERIENCE TRAINING PEOPLE FOR WAREHOUSE JOBS, WHICH IS WHY IT LAUNCHED ITS LIFT PROGRAM IN 2020 TO GIVE (PRIMARILY) HOMELESS AND RECENTLY INCARCERATED PEOPLE WHO WISH TO IMPROVE THEIR LIVES THE OPPORTUNITY TO SECURE A WAREHOUSE JOB. LIKE COMMUNITY KITCHEN, THOSE IN THE TRAINING PROGRAM GAIN SKILLS THROUGH HANDS-ON TRAINING AND CLASSROOM STUDIES TO QUALIFY FOR AND SECURE JOBS OFFERING LIVABLE WAGES, BENEFITS, AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR ADVANCEMENT. DURING THE PAST DECADE, COMMUNITY KITCHEN HAS PROVIDED THOUSANDS OF MEALS FOR CHILDREN AND OTHERS IN NEED, WHILE TRANSFORMING THE LIVES OF MANY PEOPLE WHO COMPLETED THE TRAINING AND BECAME EMPLOYED THROUGH THE PROGRAM. IN ADDITION TO TRAINING, EACH STUDENT RECEIVES JOB-PLACEMENT ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT FOLLOWING GRADUATION. LIFT AND COMMUNITY KITCHEN FALL UNDER THE ST. MARY'S FOOD BANK SKILLS CENTER. THESE PROGRAMS GRADUATED 92 STUDENTS DURING THE YEAR.

THE COMMODITY SUPPLEMENTAL FOOD PROGRAM (CSFP) IS A FEDERALLY FUNDED PROGRAM THAT WORKS TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF LOW-INCOME PEOPLE AT LEAST 60 YEARS OF AGE BY SUPPLEMENTING THEIR DIETS WITH NUTRITIOUS USDA COMMODITY FOODS. ST. MARY'S DISTRIBUTED 143,920 OF THESE BOXES DURING THE FISCAL YEAR.

BECAUSE NO CHILD DESERVES TO GO TO BED HUNGRY, KIDS CAFE PROGRAM AIMS TO ALLEVIATE CHILDHOOD HUNGER IN ARIZONA BY PROVIDING NUTRITIOUS MEALS TO CHILDREN AT RISK OF HUNGER. ST. MARY'S DISTRIBUTED 1,071,190 MEALS FOR FOOD-INSECURE YOUTH AT 253 KIDS CAFE AFTER-SCHOOL AND SUMMER MEAL SITES THAT ARE SAFE, ACCESSIBLE, AND NURTURING ENVIRONMENTS. KIDS CAFE SITES OFTEN ARE PART OF AN AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM THAT INCLUDES TUTORING, HOMEWORK STUDY GROUPS AND ATHLETIC ACTIVITIES. KIDS CAFE PARTNERS INCLUDE CHURCHES, SCHOOLS, COMMUNITY CENTERS AND CITY PARKS & RECREATION DEPARTMENTS. THE FOOD COMPONENT ENSURES THAT THE CHILDREN RECEIVE A NUTRITIOUS LATE AFTERNOON MEAL, WHICH ESPECIALLY BENEFITS THOSE WHO MIGHT NOT HAVE AN EVENING MEAL AT HOME.