ST MARYS FOOD BANK ALLIANCE
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Mission Statement
St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance is known globally as the world's first food bank. Our mission is to alleviate hunger through the gathering and distribution of food while encouraging self-sufficiency, collaboration, advocacy and education. More than food - we provide HOPE.
About This Cause
ST. MARY'S FOOD BANK ALLIANCE relies on food donors as well as financial contributors and volunteers. The support from individuals, corporations and foundations enables the Food Bank to take each dollar donated and provide enough food for five meals. Ninety-five percent (95%) of every donation supports our programs and mission to end hunger in Arizona. Our need in Arizona is very real..... Currently, 1 in 5 Arizonans, nearly 1 in 3 children and 1 in 7 seniors live in poverty. The Food Bank reaches out to and serves 81,000 square miles of Arizona operating such programs as: The EMERGENCY FOOD BOX PROGRAM distributes tens of thousands of monthly food boxes at no cost to individuals and families in need; Emergency food boxes are distributed at our locations in Phoenix and Surprise, as well as at hundreds of partner agencies around the state. Each Emergency Food Box is designed to provide a 3-day supply of food for a family of four. Every month, qualified individuals receive items, such as peanut butter, pasta, rice, beans and canned vegetables and bakery items. Additionally, for qualified seniors there is a monthly governmental food supplement program - CSFP - COMMODITIES FOR SENIORS FOOD PROGRAM. And for more than 300 domestic violence shelters, dining halls, schools, churches, children's shelters, food pantries, halfway houses and senior centers, St. Mary's Food Bank is the primary, and in many cases, only supplier of food products for their clients. The majority of those served are working poor families, seniors and children. With limited budgets being stretched by increased need, these agencies rely on St. Mary's to provide necessary and nutritionally sound items for their programs. A MOBILE PANTRY PROGRAM distributes healthy and nutritious fresh fruits and vegetables, breads and other perishable items directly into communities where it is most needed. Dedicated staff and volunteers come together to run Mobile Pantries in more than 40 neighborhood sites throughout the state. St. Mary's Mobile Pantries distribute 4-million pounds of food each year to help more than 7,000 people every month. Arizona has one of the highest rates of children who are food insecure. With so many hungry children, it's no surprise that throughout the state, teachers and school nurses have found when Monday morning comes they are forced to compete against hunger for the attention of their students. Several Food Bank programs address this issue: The KIDS CAFE PROGRAM supplies qualified after-school sites with either a cold or hot meal to enable children at risk of going to bed hungry a nutritious meal in a safe, accessible and nurturing environment. When school is out for the summer, the need to feed hungry children doesn't stop. During the summer months, we continue to offer meals to children through our KIDS CAFE SUMMER FEEDING PROGRAM where we strive to feed just as many children as we do during the school year. And, additionally, a BACKPACK PROGRAM provides chronically hungry children with non-perishable, primarily single-serve and child-friendly meals that kids can take home and eat on weekends. Nearly 800 backpacks are distributed at more than 30 Valley schools and community centers to provide a supplemental food sources for these children. Recently introduced is a pilot model SCHOOL PANTRY PROGRAM targeting very low income, at-risk families at two Valley schools to best reach out to families in need to allow them easier access to much needed food resources for their entire family. COMMUNITY KITCHEN, is a hands-on culinary training and job placement program, to empower homeless, disadvantaged individuals and families to achieve self-sufficiency through job training, personal development and employment in the food service industry while preparing meals to feed the hungry. This program helps individuals who often struggle with unemployment and poverty to gain the skills necessary for a job that offers a livable wage, benefits and opportunities for advancement. Tier 1 of the program stresses personal development, life skills and cooking fundamentals. Tier 2 covers kitchen essentials focusing on restaurant style cooking and functions. Tier 3 is high volume production operations similar to those of hospitals, schools and other large operations. Students who successfully complete these skills move on to Tier 4 - Catering and working in a social enterprise business. CK Catering is the Food Bank's full service catering company allowing students to experience the business firsthand from customer service, menu development, inventory control, advanced cooking techniques, product transportation, presentation and event execution. St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance is proud to be a member of FEEDING AMERICA, a national network of food banks across the United States working together to solve the problem of hunger in our country.