Nourishing News - Community Food Bank

Nourishing News
Nonprofit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Tucson, AZ
Permit No. 1234
The Newsletter of the Community Food Bank
P.O. Box 26727
Tucson, AZ 85726-6727
Community Food Bank
Nourishing News
Summer 2010 • Vol. VIII, Issue I
Nutrition at the Forefront
Healthy food is expensive. As far as the food bank
is concerned, it’s about nutrition and lack of choice. Food
devoid of nutrition starves our bodies, especially the bodies
of growing children. Over the years the Community Food
Bank has developed a number of programs
focusing on nutrition for adults and
children, and allowing them to make
choices. One of our most popular
programs, our farmers’ markets, which
feature locally grown produce, is about
to get a big boost. The Pima County
Health Department has provided us with
a grant to open another farmers’ market
in an under-served neighborhood. The grant will help the
food bank increase access to healthy food that is affordable
for people with low-incomes. Specifically, the health
department wants to focus on projects that will make an
impact on child health.
Research has shown that food
deserts—neighborhoods
with
low
access to affordable food—also tend
to lack farmers’ markets (see page
five for more on food deserts). These
community markets are important
because they offer people access to some
continued on page one...
Community Food Bank
Nourishing News
Summer 2010 • Vol. VIII, Issue I
Nutrition at the Forefront
...continued from cover
of the healthiest food available. Families are among
the most important patrons of these markets, as they
are teaching their children to make healthy choices for
the long-term. However, everyone benefits from the
availability of healthy foods.
In addition to helping low-income people find
healthy choices in their neighborhoods, the food bank
works hard to ensure that the nutritional content of the
emergency food boxes is balanced. The items all have
to be shelf-stable, so it can be a challenge. Mostly the
emergency food boxes include canned items and dried
beans, rice and milk.
An analysis of the nutritional content of our
emergency food boxes, published on April 12, 2010 in
the Arizona Daily Star, was part of a larger series of articles
outlining the link between hunger and poor nutrition
in children. Registered Dietician Nancy Rogers of the
University of Arizona performed the analysis which let us
know we are on the right track. “They’ve
got all the food groups represented, and
there’s nothing junky. You could take
these foods, buy some carrots and
onions, and green chile. Add a salad,
some cabbage. That would round it
out,” said Rogers.
One of the benefits of
these boxes is that the groceries
in them can be consumed by just
adding water. However, whenever
possible, the food bank makes
available donated fruits, vegetables
and bread, which we receive
from area brokers, retailers and
wholesalers. This helps increase
the nutritional value of our
emergency food and allows our
clients to stretch it a little farther.
Why buy locally grown food?
Beyond spurring the local economy, locally
produced food is both better for our bodies and
better for the environment.
• The average meal travels about 1,500 miles before
it reaches our plates. Fresh foods lose nutrients
from the moment they are picked, and traveling
takes time. An orange traveling from Florida will
have far less nutritional value to an Arizonan than
an orange grown locally.
• Was your dinner processed in China? Foods
shipped from long distances have a much larger
carbon footprint than those grown at home. They
also increase in cost as oil prices rise.
We never know what will be donated, but we usually have
fresh, in-season produce to share with our clients
as well as our charitable partners throughout
the community. Forty percent of the people
consuming emergency food assistance are
children.
Other programs that support healthy
eating include our demonstration garden
in Tucson, the Heritage Farm in Marana,
home gardening assistance, and our child
hunger and nutrition programs. We
also offer fresh produce to our
agency partners in Tucson
and throughout Southern
Arizona, so they can
include it with meals they
serve.
Our Mission: Through education, advocacy and the acquisition, storage and distribution of food,
we will anticipate and meet the food needs of the hungry in our community.
Board of Directors
For the Record
president/ceO
Dear Friends,
William Carnegie
chair
Michael Dorer
Citigroup
co-Vice chairs
Fran McNeely
Community Volunteer
Karen Heyse
Tucson Electric Power
Secretary
Rosalva Bullock
TUSD Family Support
treasurer
Bret Berry
Keegan, Linscott & Kenon, P.C.
Directors
K.C. An
Restaurateur
Jennifer Casteix
Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences,
University of Arizona
Barry Corey
DeConcini, McDonald, Yetwin & Lacy, P.C.
Mark Fay
Retired, Elizabeth Arden
Diane Frisch
Frisch & Associates
Jaime Gutierrez
My first experience with hunger was
in the early 80’s while I was attending college
in Honolulu. Everyday on my way to class I
would walk through downtown Honolulu.
Every day I would see people, the homeless,
perhaps those on the verge of homelessness,
mothers, fathers, children—the very old to the
very young. They dug through the trash cans
everyday, looking for food. I watched this take
place for two years. I decided that some day
I would do something to make a difference.
That opportunity came after retiring from the U.S. Coast Guard. In 1992,
I took a position at the Second Harvest Gleaners Food Bank in Grand Rapids,
Michigan. I wasn’t really familiar with the operations of food banks and spent my
beginning days working with each program to gain a better understanding.
One such program was the Mobile Food Pantry. I vividly remember on
a chilly fall day, pulling into a trailer park with lines of people waiting. My job was
to check people in, which I was doing when I was interrupted by a little girl. She
wore dirty clothes and looked more like a character from a movie than someone
who stood in line for food. She looked me straight in the eyes and asked if she
could please have one of the bananas behind me. I will never forget what it
feels like to look into the eyes of a hungry child. She ate several bananas that
morning before leaving with her mom carrying several bags of food. Little does
she know that she has driven my efforts to fight hunger for the past 18 years.
I feel fortunate to be able to work in this field and make a difference in
people’s lives. Thank you for what you do in the fight against hunger.
Warm Regards,
University of Arizona
Monique Grigg Harley
Speculare Forensics
Sarah Jezairian
Snell & Wilmer
Gregg Johnson
University of Phoenix
Editorial Staff
William Carnegie
President/CEO
Greg Kishi
IBM
James Kolbe
Retired U.S. Congressman
Sam R. Levitz
Sam Levitz Furniture
Stephanie Porter
Live the Solution
Stellisa Scott
Law Office of Stellisa Scott
James Watson
AFL-CIO Community Services
Bill Young
Horseshoe Management Co.
Summer 2010
Honorary board
The Rev. Kendall Baker
Dr. Benjamin Brook (deceased)
Barry Corey
Jannie Cox
Greg Hart
Mark Homan
Lewis Murphy (deceased)
Margaret Steele (deceased)
Terri Valenzuela (deceased)
nourishing news is a
quarterly publication of
the Community Food
Bank. It is published in
July, October, January,
and April.
3003 S. Country Club Road
P.O. Box 26727
Tucson, AZ 85726-6727
3
Melanie Morgan, Editor
Pauline Hechler, CFRE
Carolyn Owens
Jack Parris
Contributors
Ryley Greene
Gretchen Garman
Nourishing
News
2010 Quilt Raffle Winner
Lars Eriksson of Tucson was the lucky winner of this year’s Community
Food Bank quilt raffle. This year’s Log Cabin Lone Star Amish quilt raised almost
$85,000 to fight hunger in Southern Arizona. With the proceeds, the food bank
was able to provide enough groceries for more than 290,000 meals.
Every year the Community Food Bank raffles a handmade quilt from
Pennsylvania Dutch Country. The quilts are designed and hand-stitched by Amish
or Mennonite quilters in a variety of traditional patterns. The hard work of these
quilters combined with the generosity of our donors has helped the food bank
provide food for hundreds of thousands of people over the years.
Hunger Walk 2010 a Success
Local businesses demonstrated their commitment to fighting hunger in Southern Arizona with a sponsorship of the
Hunger Walk on March 13. Their generous support made it possible for 100% of the proceeds to go directly toward
the programs of the Community Food Bank.
Able Refrigeration • Bookman’s • Borderlands Trading Company • Canyon Community Bank • Hirsh’s Shoes
Ludwig, Klewer & Company • Raging Sage Coffee Roasters • Research Corporation for Science Advancement
Silverbell Dental Care • Swensen’s Ice Cream Factory
Nourishing
News
4
Summer 2010
Our Volunteers
UA4FOOD
UA4Food is the University of Arizona’s campus-wide
food and fund drive, which runs the length of the school year. For
the sixth consecutive year, UA4Food has brought together the
efforts of the staff, faculty, students, the Main Gate Merchants
and the Marshall Foundation to benefit the Community Food
Bank. The 2010 UA4Food Drive benefits the Community Food
Bank’s Child Nutrition Programs and helps provide emergency
food assistance.
Several major events highlighted UA4Food this year.
The Stuff the CatTran food drive in April collected almost 3,000
pounds of food. Spring Fling, the largest student run carnival in
the nation, collected almost 8,000 pounds of food, also in April.
Finally, the Student Health Advisory Council (SHAC) 5K Run/
Walk for Your Life attracted 175 participants.
UA4Food is enthusiastically directed by Holly Altman at
the University of Arizona Office of Community Relations. There
is still time to support UA4Food at www.ua4food.arizona.edu.
UA employees at Stuff the CatTran, from left to right:
Eddie Gomez, Staff Advisory Committee president;
Bill Davidson, Parking & Transportation Services
marketing manager; Robert Shelton, UA president;
David Heineking, Parking & Transportation Services
director; Claudia Arias, Staff Advisory Committee
executive vice-president
Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive
For the 18th consecutive year the National Association of Letter Carriers and the Community Food Bank
teamed up to collect donations for the Stamp Out Hunger food drive. Totals are still coming in, but at this date, 254,987
pounds of food and $74,000 has been collected. This is the Community Food Bank’s largest food drive of the year, and
we are grateful to the National Association of Letter Carriers, volunteers, staff and the community for their efforts.
This year Food City helped us go green. The grocery chain assisted the food bank by picking up more than
47,970 plastic and paper bags in one of their 48-foot semitrailers, so that the bags could be recycled properly rather
than end up in a landfill. “We are thrilled to assist the Community Food Bank with this drive because it helps so many
local families in need,” said Ramon Lopez, Tucson Food City Store Director. This is the first time that plastic and paper
bags in this volume have been recycled from the letter carriers’ food drive, and we hope it will continue in coming years.
Additional help for the drive came from Southwest Energy Solutions through Tucson Electric Power. Company
volunteers and drivers helped at several postal stations supplementing the letter carriers’ efforts to pick up donated
food left at people’s mailboxes. This is the second year of this partnership, with a large increase in volunteers from
last year. In most cases the volunteers used Southwest Energy Solutions trucks, which were a huge help to the food
drive.
How You Can Make a Difference
Make a financial contribution
Online at www.communityfoodbank.org
By mail to Community Food Bank
P.O. Box 26727, Tucson, AZ 85726-6727
Schedule a Speaker
A representative will speak to your civic group,
organization, house of worship or workplace.
Call Jack Parris at 622-0525, ext. 215
Volunteer
Call Kristen Hershberger at 622-0525, ext. 204
Organize a food drive
Contact Jacob Coldsmith at 622-0525, ext. 222
Summer 2010
5
Nourishing
News
What is a Food Desert?
Substantial attention has been paid recently to
food deserts—a term coined to describe residential areas
that lack access to healthy foods. Simply put, some people
can’t find healthy, affordable food in their neighborhood.
This has become a huge public policy issue of late, and
even has Michelle Obama working to help solve the crisis.
A 2009 report by the USDA refutes the idea, stating that
only 2.2 percent of Americans reside in a food desert.
However, the study goes on to relate that due to cost
issues, transportation issues and the lack of large retailers
in low-income urban and rural areas, the number of
people who do not have access to affordable quality
food may be much higher than 2.2 percent. “Responses
to direct questions about food access show that nearly
6 percent of all U.S. households did not always have the
food they wanted or needed because of access related
problems,” states the report. It also outlines that there
are really two causes at work: “Urban core areas with
limited food access are characterized by higher levels of
racial segregation and greater income inequality. In smalltown and rural areas with limited food access, the lack
of transportation infrastructure is the most defining
characteristic.”
So what’s really going on here? It’s
complicated. Many diminish the issue of food
deserts by surmising that people with access to
cheap fast food or snack foods will always choose
low-quality food even if healthy options are
available. However, this conclusion does not explain
the popularity of healthy foods in high-income
neighborhoods that also have easy access to cheap
food. It is unlikely that personal preference is wholly
determined by income. Additionally, how does
ethnicity factor into it? The American melting
pot means that we come from
many cultures with different
traditional cuisines. Some
people
cannot
find
affordable choices relevant
to their food cultures in
their neighborhood. As
a result, opening a bag of
chips may be the most costeffective choice.
The answer is likely
to come down to the fact
that people will eat what they can
Nourishing
News
afford, good or bad. If it’s cheaper to eat off the dollar
menu than it is to make dinner, that’s what low-income
people will do. While fast-food restaurants do often offer
healthy choices on their reduced price menus, a yogurt
or a side salad simply won’t fill up a hungry child the
same way a double cheeseburger will. To a person who
is concerned about where their family’s next meal will
come from, the choice is obvious.
The bottom line can’t be ignored. A large grocery
retailer is unlikely to move into a neighborhood where it
is unsure of returning a profit. Those living in low-income
neighborhoods are left with the option of traveling miles
to purchase lower-cost items or paying high prices at local
convenience stores. “Individuals living in food deserts
may pay higher prices for groceries,” says Troy Blanchard,
professor at the Social Science Research Center of
Mississippi State University, “since the greater travel
costs incurred to access a large food retailer may not
offset the savings available at these stores. Some sources
of healthy food, such as fruit and vegetable markets, are
less available in food deserts. Thus, living in a food
desert may have an impact on the dietary
quality of vulnerable segments of the
population, including low-income
families and the disabled, who
comprise a greater share of the
population in food desert counties,”
Not surprisingly southern
Arizona has lots of food deserts,
both in urban and rural areas.
See page 11 for a food
desert map of southern Arizona.
6
Summer 2010
Snak Paks for Kids®
Plans for the Future
and donors. These amazing community members donate
the funds needed to buy the food for the packs, and
volunteers from numerous local organizations pack them.
Without these vital partners it would not be possible for
the food bank to administer this program. For a list of our
Snak Paks partners see the green section on page seven.
The rapid expansion of the program over the past
few years has highlighted the community need in a very
clear way. The food bank is gearing up to find partners
to help us serve as many schools as possible. However
before we expand, we are working to make sure the
program is providing the best nutrition possible to the
children currently participating.
One of Tucson’s Parks and Recreation Centers
had been using the Community Food Bank programs to
help provide snacks to the children who visit the center.
One morning two brothers, Andy and Sam, visited the
center knowing they could find food there. It was early
on a Monday morning when one of the employees of
the center found them waiting by the locked doors. The
employee wondered why the boys, who were about
eight and nine, were by themselves outside. Andy and
Sam explained that they had not had anything to eat all
weekend and were hoping they could come to the center
for some food. Luckily Bill had plenty of snacks from the
food bank to give the boys. Soon after the Community
Food Bank started its Snak Paks for Kids® program to
help children like Andy and Sam.
Many local children receive free
breakfast and lunch at school through the
Federal school lunch program. Often these
children go home on weekends with no
guarantee of nourishment. Snak Paks for
Kids® works with 17 participating schools
to identify children who are chronically
hungry. Every Friday these children go
home with their backpacks full of healthy
snacks to see them through the weekend.
The packs also include information for
the children and their families about
nutrition, the services of the food
bank, and other Federal programs
for which the family may qualify.
Participating schools tell us that
children are sick less often,
have fewer stomach aches, and
are more eager and able to
learn. Last year 1,298 children
received a Snak Pak every
week.
Focus on Nutrition
Currently the packs include items like
healthy cereal, granola, V8 Juice, dried fruit
and canned tuna, all things we know are
nutritionally sound for growing children.
To ensure the best possible balance for a
growing child, the food bank is currently
working with a nutritionist from Feeding
America, our national partner.
Working with Schools
In addition to verifying that
the nutritional content of the
packs is optimal, program head
Gretchen Garman is taking steps
to ensure that all of the children
and schools are receiving the
best service possible from
the program. This starts with
making sure that every child in
need is receiving a Snak Pak.
Participating schools have
historically been very good
at identifying children, and
we see no reason to change
the process. However, we
do want to be sure that every
school receives enough Snak Paks
for all its children in need, and
How it Works
In order to fulfill the
needs of all of these schools,
the Community Food Bank helps
coordinate a legion of volunteers
Summer 2010
7
Nourishing
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that throughout the year the needs of the students are
constantly reassessed.
The Snak Paks program currently runs on a 34week schedule that matches many school calendars.
However, the schools have varying spring vacation
schedules and dismiss for the summer at different times
during the summer. The food bank is working to tailor its
calender to best meet the needs of each individual school.
At least one week will be added, as the schools have
requested that the food bank supply a Snak Pak for spring
break, which was skipped in prior years. Additionally,
we want to run until the end of the school year at every
school.
Schools, Students & Partners
Wright Elementary, 80 students
Volunteers: U of A Alpha Epsilon Phi Sorority
Southwest Alternative School, 30 students
Volunteers: Desert Dove Christian Church
Davis Bilingual Magnet School, 30 students
Volunteer: St. Ambrose Catholic School
Prince Elementary, 75 students
Volunteers: St. Francis in the Foothills United Methodist
Erickson Elementary, 75 students
Volunteers: St. Francis in the Foothills United Methodist
Program Expansion
Once we have reached these milestones, we
hope to take the Snak Paks program to the next level.
“The desire is that every child in our community who
needs a Snak Pak will receive one,” explained Gretchen
“We will need more funding and more volunteers as the
program expands.” To that end, the Community Food
Bank is working on a full assessment of community need
based on the schools eligible for free or reduced cost
meals from the Federal school lunch program.
If you are interested in helping to fund the
program expansion, please call Pauline Hechler at 520622-0525 ext. 234.
Nash Elementary, 120 students
Volunteers: St. Mark’s United Methodist
Pueblo Gardens Elementary, 125 students
Volunteers: Desert Skies United Methodist
Los Ranchitos Elementary, 120 students
Volunteers: Desert Skies United Methodist
Peter Howell Elementary, 70 students
Volunteers: Desert Skies United Methodist
Laguna Elementary, 90 students
Volunteers: Victory Assembly of God
Blenman Elementary, 83 students
Volunteers: Catalina United Methodist
Holaway Elementary, 80 students
Volunteers: St. James United Methodist
Southside Community School, 90 students
Volunteers: Aprendar Unified School District
Los Amigos Elementary, 80 students
Volunteers: Victory Assembly of God
Coronado Elementary, 45 students
Volunteers: Vista de la Montaña United Methodist
Funders
Angel Charity For Children
Anonymous Donor
Desert Skies United Methodist Church
Feeding America
James Green Foundation
Long Realty Cares Foundation
Mountain Room Foundation, Inc.
St. Mark’s United Methodist Church
Stocker Foundation
Target
Vista De La Montaña
Wings Like Eagles Foundation
Zuckerman Community Outreach Foundation
Nourishing
News
8
Summer 2010
Giving
For the ninth straight year, Neo (formerly Seri
Melaka) has graciously hosted several luncheons for
our clients. These luncheons began in 2001 to provide
a Malaysian dining experience to people who otherwise
may never be exposed to Malaysian culture or cuisine.
“We hope that this event will provide some cheer
during these times of economic uncertainty and world
instability,” said Chris Yap, owner.
When you walk in to the restaurant, located
on Broadway, you walk into a different world. You are
immediately greeted with exotic music, large Asianinspired lacquered art work, bamboo, and friendly
staff. “The food at the buffet was superb,” said Ryley
Greene, an employee of the Community Food Bank who
participated. “Each of the clients was able to try these
dishes, and loved the food. Before the event, one agency
taught their kids about Malaysia and the cuisine that is
common, including exotic foods such as squid or lamb.
The kids normally like hamburgers and French fries, but
were open to trying the new foods!
The clients who participated came from human
services charities that receive food from the Community
Food Bank. The charities who attended these special
luncheons this year included foster homes, family services,
and homes for physically disabled. Each charity was
accompanied by a representative from the Community
Food Bank.
The recipients of this event come from limited
income families, and many of them had never eaten in a
nice restaurant. One charity was also thrilled to have the
opportunity for its children to practice their newly-learned
manners and etiquette. Representatives from another
charity exclaimed: “We had a fantastic experience…the
food was excellent, the atmosphere was relaxing, and the
staff was courteous.”
Hot Rods & Hot Dogs Sets Another Record
What do you get when you gather 105 classic
cars and almost 2,000 hot dogs in one location? You get
the Raytheon annual Hot Rods and Hot Dogs car show,
held in March to benefit the Community Food Bank.
This year once again set a record with $7,564
and 232 pounds of food collected by members of the
Raytheon employee organization Rays of Hope.
An added feature this year was a head-to-head
hot dog eating contest between representatives of the
United Way and the Community Food Bank. Keith
Passmore, Community Food Bank Warehouse Assistant
won the contest by downing seven hot dogs in eight
minutes. Way to go, Keith!
Our sincere thank you goes out to Karen D.
Christensen, event coordinator, and the members of the
Rays of Hope organization for their continued support.
Library Workers Auction Hand-crafted Items
On April 16, librarians from over 25 public library
branches in Pima County gathered at the Joel D. Valdez
Main Library to auction off art, crafts, jewelry, desserts
and more for their annual auction for the Community
Food Bank. In addition to the auction, the Library held a
raffle for themed baskets from each branch. Themes ran
from movies to chocolate, and were a feast for the eyes.
This year’s auction beat last year’s total; our amazing
librarians raised $6,518!
Librarian Monica Bujack (left) with her trifle, won
by food bank VP of Development Pauline Hechler
Neo Treats Clients to Tasty Feast!
Helping a Neighbor
Nancy and Richard Fintzy’s neighbor couldn’t
pay her mortgage. In fact, her finances were such that
she was coming to the food bank for emergency food
boxes. The Fintzys wanted to help her stay in her home.
Richard and Nancy have lived very carefully, saving 20%
of their salaries for 25 years. Richard, a CPA, devised a
plan to give the food bank some of the stock Nancy had
accumulated during her career with Chase Bank. This
stock was an unrealized appreciated asset, which meant
that they could save the capital gains taxes and use that
Summer 2010
9
Nourishing
News
savings to buy their neighbor’s home and rent it back to
appreciate what we did have … to help others as best
her.
we could. Mostly, that took the form of military surplus
In April, the Fintzys closed on the house, which
clothing, altered to children’s sizes by my father.”
was a short sale and a great deal. They are renting the
When asked why they chose the Community
home to their neighbor until she is no longer able to stay
Food Bank, the Fintzys said they wanted an organization
there. At that time, they will sell
that helps people (although they
the home and share at least oneusually give to animal causes and
third of the profit with her.
the arts). They had planned to
In April, the food bank
give the stock to a charity back
received 1,000 shares of JP
home in New Jersey. Nancy heard
Morgan (formerly Chase) stock
about Guidestar.com and looked
from the Fintzys, with another
up the charity, only to find a
1,000 shares expected later in the
poor report and a ½-star Charity
year, costing the Fintzys only18Navigator rating. Conversely, she
24 cents on the dollar. The stock
found that the food bank has a
comes with an “unrealized gain
four-star rating, that 97 cents of
upon distribution until you sell
every dollar donated goes to food
it,” said Richard. “The only way
and programs, and our executives
to avoid taxes is to give it away.”
are compensated appropriately.
Richard grew up in the
They decided to make the gift to
central Bronx, “on the edge of
the food bank.
poverty,” near an orphanage.
Richard and Nancy Fintzy at their house in
“My parents taught us early to
the Tucson Mountains.
Monthly Donors Add Stability
What is the Community Food Bank’s bread and butter? It’s the contributions that come in monthly
through automatic withdrawals and credit cards. This year, so far, we’ve received over $100,000 from the 268
people who have signed up to be monthly donors.
Most of the gifts that come in to the food bank are wonderful surprises, but we never can be completely
sure who will give, how much and when. This can make it difficult to plan for the future, especially when the
food bank can save money by pre-order large loads of food. It’s easy for us to make advance commitments to
purchase food when we know that we are assured of having the income to cover these purchases.
That’s why our monthly donors are so important to us. While these are not usually our largest
contributions, they are our most reliable. It’s a huge help to know that, whether it’s $10 a month or $100,
these gifts will be made regularly all year long.
Thank you to our monthly donors! Your steady support means everything to us and the people it
helps. If you would like to learn more about becoming a monthly donor to the Community Food Bank,
call Liz Westrick at 622-0525 ext. 244 or visit www.communityfoodbank.org.
Nourishing
News
10
Summer 2010
Branch Highlight: Nogales
More changes are in store for the Nogales Community Food
Bank. It is moving to a new, larger location at 2636 North Donna Avenue
in Nogales. The new location includes a 10,880-square-foot warehouse
and a 1,262-square-foot house to be used as an office. The new location
will be more convenient for clients and donors, as it is centrally located
with plenty of parking and more docks for trucks.
Numbers served keep going up—the Nogales Community Food
Bank distributes nearly 2,000 food boxes each month, helping 7,000
people—up 40% from the previous year.
Recently several families in Nogales were devastated by house
fires; the local radio station had a live feed on a Saturday to help the
families. The Nogales branch Executive Director Arthur Espinoza stepped
up to help by sending food boxes over that day so the families could have
food for the weekend.
In addition to helping the hungry in the community, the Nogales
branch procures fresh produce from numerous produce distributors
located in Nogales. The produce is shared with local charities, then with
sister food banks across the state. During the first three weeks of April
the crew secured 1,552,690 pounds of produce or 45 truckloads, more
than the double the prior year’s 669,471 pounds during the same period!
This produce represents a tremendous addition of healthy fresh food for
people in need throughout the state. Arthur credits connections, great
customer service, and dedication to meeting the donors’ schedule for
their success.
In order to keep up with the increased demand, Nogales is the
newest recipient of a hybrid truck. This green technology will allow the
branch to operate more efficiently and cost-effectively. The salary of a
driver for the truck will be funded through Feeding America and the
Kresge Foundation.
Contact Our Other
Branch Banks
AJO cOMMUnitY FOOD bAnk
421 Esperanza Road
P.O. Box 515
Ajo, AZ 85321
Contact: Karen Galliazzo
(520) 387-4916
[email protected]
AMADO
cOMMUnitY FOOD bAnk
28720 S. Nogales Highway
P.O. Box 729
Amado, AZ 85645
Contact: Mildred Lopez Feliciano
(520) 398-2261
amadofbank@
communityfoodbank.org
green VAlleY–SAHUAritA
cOMMUnitY FOOD bAnk
250 E. Continental Road
Suite 101
Green Valley, AZ 85614
Contact: Mary Jane Goodrick
(520) 625-5252
[email protected]
nOgAleS
cOMMUnitY
FOOD bAnk
284 E. Baffert Drive
Nogales, AZ 85621
Contact: Arthur Espinoza
(520) 281-2790
aespinoza@
communityfoodbank.org
Summer 2010
11
MArAnA
cOMMUnitY FOOD bAnk
11734 W. Grier Road
P.O. Box 70
Marana, AZ 85653
Contact: Linda Hampton
(520) 682-3001
[email protected]
Nourishing
News
Southern Arizona Food Desert Map
A food desert is determined by the number
of people with low-incomes living more than
a mile from a major grocery retailer.*
Below are the number of people and percent of population
living in a food desert in each county the food bank serves.
Graham County
11,800, or 35.1%
Greenlee
County
1,900, or
22.3%
Pima County
89,000, or 10.5%
Cochise County
28,500, or 24.2%
* Convenience stores are not included
VOLUNTEER NEEDS
• Volunteers needed to help with client
check-in on a consistent basis. Volunteers
usually work one day per week either
a morning or afternoon shift. Computer
skills necessary, bilingual a plus.
• Greet the public in our food
distribution area. Tuesday–Thursday
mornings preferred. Direct clients
and give out basic information.
Training provided. Bilingual a plus.
• Groups and individuals are needed
over the summer to help pack boxes
and distribute food. Weekday and
weekend hours available.
• We are looking for 4 or 5 regular
volunteers to make phone calls
thanking our donors the first Thursday
of every month from 5 -7 p.m.
Santa Cruz
County
9,950, or 25.9%
needed Items
• Commercial Washing Machines
• Ice Machine
Must be in working condition.
CONTACT US
3003 S. Country Club Road
P.O. Box 26727
Tucson, AZ 85726-6727
Phone: (520) 622-0525
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.communityfoodbank.org
HOURS
Community Food Bank
COMING EVENTS
2010 Tubac Jazz Festival
October 30, Noon–5:30 p.m.
Tubac Golf Resort and Spa
2011 Mardi Gras
January 29, 7:00 p.m.
The Manning House
For details visit
www.communityfoodbank.org
or call (520) 622-0525
Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–4 p.m.
Food donations accepted until 3 p.m.
Food Plus & Value Market
Tuesday–Friday, 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Saturday 9 a.m.–1:30 p.m.
Call Kristen Hershberger at 622-0525
ext. 204 for more information.
The Community Food Bank receives most of its funding from people like you. Supportive public funding includes: City of Tucson, Pima County, USDA, Community Development Block
Grants and Community Service Block Grants/Pima County and City of Tucson, Arizona Department of Economic Security/Social Services Block Grant and Arizona Department of Health
Services. Community Food Bank programs provide services to eligible applicants without regard to race, color, creed, religion, handicap, age, national origin, sexual orientation, political beliefs or gender.