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Walmart, Sam’s Club and St. Mary’s Food Bank Kick-Off 2019 “Fight Hunger. Spark Change” Campaign

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Last year’s Campaign Raised More Than $240,000 for St. Mary’s Food Bank

One in eight Americans and one in seven Arizonans struggle with hunger.

To raise awareness and combat the issue, Walmart, Sam’s Club, Feeding America® and St. Mary’s Food Bank are kicking off its sixth annual nationwide “Fight Hunger. Spark Change.” (FHSC) campaign, which will run from April 22 to May 20.

Last year, the FHSC Campaign resulted in a donation of 1.67 million meals to St. Mary’s, helping the food bank pay for important client programs including the Mobile Pantry Program, which drops food into more than 40 of the more impoverished areas of the state, giving surrounding residents access to more supplemental food for their families.

Walmart volunteers will team with St. Mary’s and neighborhood volunteers to distribute Mobile Pantry food to clients on Thursday, April 25 at the Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church (1401 East Jefferson Street in Phoenix) from 9-11 a.m.

More than 200 families receive food from this mobile pantry site twice a month and represents how “Fight Hunger, Spark Change” impacts the hungry all over the country.

Walmart and Sam’s Club now invite Arizona shoppers to help fight hunger in their local community. There are three ways to participate – purchasing a participating item in-store or online, donating in-store or donating on Feeding America’s website.

With 749 million meals achieved over the last five years, Arizona customers and members can help the Feeding America network secure its 1 billion cumulative meals goal in three ways. They can track the number of meals by visiting www.walmart.com/fighthunger.

  • For every participating product purchased at U.S. Walmart stores, Sam’s Clubs or on Walmart.com during the campaign, the supplier will donate the monetary equivalent of at least one meal ($0.10) on behalf of a Feeding America member food bank, up to applicable limits.
  • Donate money to your local Feeding America food bank at participating Sam’s Club and Walmart stores in the U.S.
  • Donate at feedingamerica.org/Walmart.

Walmart kick-started the campaign with a $3 million donation to Feeding America and member food banks including St. Mary’s A purchase of one of the 267 participating items helps secure the equivalent of one meal. Each Walmart and Sam’s Club will partner with at least one Feeding America local food bank, and the 18 participating suppliers include: Bush Brothers, Campbell’s, Conagra Brands, Cliff Bar, General Mills, Gold Peak Tea, Great Value, Hidden Valley, JM Smucker, Kellogg, Kraft Heinz, McCormick, Motts, PepsiCo, Post, Uncle Ben’s, Nature Nate’s Honey and Unilever.

“In addition to the millions of pounds of food that Walmart and Sam’s Clubs in Arizona have donated to us, proceeds from the FHSC campaign helps fund some of our most successful client programs,” St. Mary’s Food Bank President and CEO Tom Kertis said. “We thank Walmart for their great support and invite everyone to take part in this easy and effective way to make a difference.”

“As we go into our sixth year of the ‘Fight Hunger. Spark Change.’ campaign, it’s exciting to approach the 1 billion mark in terms of charitable meals secured for Feeding America over the life of the program,” said Kathleen McLaughlin, chief sustainability officer for Walmart. “Food insecurity continues to affect communities across the United States. Working with Feeding America, our customers, members, associates and suppliers, Walmart and Sam’s Club aim to be part of the solution.”

To learn more about the campaign visit www.walmart.com/fighthunger.

27th ANNUAL NALC FOOD DRIVE HELD ON SATURDAY, MAY 11th

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Drive Collected More Than Two Million Pounds of Food in Arizona;

Benefits St. Mary’s Food Bank, & Many Other Food Banks around the State.

The largest single-day food drive in the United States – one which helps St. Mary’s Food Bank and other Arizona Food Banks stocked during the long, hot summer – turns 27 years old in 2019.

And it all takes place at your mailbox.

On Saturday, May 11th, over 230,000 letter carriers nationwide, including over 5,000 here in Arizona will be picking up canned food donations on their regular mail routes during the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) “Stamp out Hunger” Food Drive.

This drive began right here in Arizona more than 40 years ago.  In 1976, Phoenix land Glendale letter carriers from NALC Branch 576 began picking up food donations in their own pickup trucks for St. Mary’s Food Bank. That soon evolved into a national effort that has collected more than a 1.5 billion pounds over the last 24 years for Americans suffering from food insecurity. More than 70 million pounds nationwide was collected in 2018.

Throughout the week leading up to the food drive, local letter carriers will be dropping off reminder post cards and special grocery bags to both city and rural residents’ mailboxes. The letter carriers encourage those who can help to fill the bags, or any other grocery bag, with nonperishable food items and leave them by their mailboxes on the morning of Saturday May 11th. Your letter carrier will do the rest, making sure the food gets to the one in five Arizonans – and one in four children – dealing with hunger issues in our state.

The hot summer months are almost here in Arizona. Food demand increases with children out of school, while donations dwindle with many residents escaping to cooler climates. With 24 percent of Arizona children living in poverty, and tough economic times challenging the community further, Arizona Food Banks rely on “Stamp Out Hunger” to provide that much-needed influx of food. St. Mary’s distributes more than 40,000 emergency food boxes each month, as well as stocking the 600-plus agency partners it serves.

Items most needed by the food banks include canned fruit and vegetables, soups and meals in a can, pasta, peanut butter, tuna, rice and cereal.

For more information on this event, visit www.helpstampouthunger.com.

St. Mary’s Food Bank In Need Of Fruits And Vegetables

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AFTER COLD WEATHER LEADS TO SHORTENED GROWING SEASON IN SOUTHERN ARIZONA — ST. MARY’S IS CALLING FOR DONATIONS

The cold Arizona winter has led to a shorter and less abundant growing season in Southern Arizona, severely impacting donations made to St. Mary’s Food Bank in February and now March  of 2019. In some cases the donations are down by as much as 50 percent. That equates to nearly TWO MILLION pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables.

St. Mary’s relies on these donations to provide our clients and partners with a well-balanced and nutritious balance of healthy foods. The food bank has been forced to purchase some of the foods that are normally donated in abundance this time of year to keep up with demand.

St. Mary’s is asking the public to please help the Food Bank through this challenging time in one of two ways.

  1. Donations of canned fruits and vegetables would be greatly appreciated. You can donate at the Food Bank locations in Phoenix 2831 N. 31st Avenue), Surprise (13050 West Elm Street) or at any Goodwill location – there are food donation boxes at the front of each store.
  2. If folks are still looking for a place to donate the oranges they still have on backyard trees, the Food Bank would gladly accept those donations at the Phoenix and Surprise locations. We have received a LOT of  grapefruit in the past few weeks – so we are specifically looking for oranges at this time.

2018 Citizen of the Year – Hector Carillo

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Presented in recognition for his selfless acts on October 2, 2018 when he saved the life of a trapped and badly injured driver in a vehicle accident. Mr. Carillo’s action during this tragic event demonstrates character and integrity.

On that October morning, Mr. Carillo demonstrated a truly fearless act. A vehicle attempted to maneuver an illegal pass of another vehicle in a no-passing zone. The vehicle collided head-on with Mr. Carillo’s tractor-trailer resulting in heavy damage to the passenger vehicle and reckless driver. Mr. Carillo immediately determined the injured driver was pinned inside and the vehicle’s engine was on fire. Mr Carillo moved the tractor-trailer off the vehicle, retrieved his fire extinguisher and successfully put the fire out before emergency and fire personnel arrived.

Often members of the public step up to assist others with no regard to their own safety and deserve recognition. Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office is extremely proud to extend this formal Award in recognition of Hectors selfless acts in Yavapai County.

St. Mary’s Food Bank Will Hold Special Mobile Pantry For TSA Workers Affected By Shutdown January 14th

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PHOENIX – As the government shutdown enters its third week, federal workers and their families subject to furloughs and working without pay have started to feel the effects at home.

St. Mary’s Food Bank has seen a sharp uptick in the number of families reaching out for help and is stepping up its response by bringing food directly to the affected communities.

Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees are currently working their normal shifts without pay. To help the TSA families feeling the financial pinch, St. Mary’s will hold a special Mobile Pantry Distribution at the TSA Offices at Gateway Tower (410 North 44th Street, just north of Van Buren Street). St. Mary’s will be providing a balanced and nutritious array of foods for TSA workers to take home.

“No matter what your opinions are about the issues surrounding the shutdown, we can all agree that federal employees and their families are caught in the middle. We want to make sure they know we are here for them and ready to help,” St. Mary’s Food Bank President and CEO Tom Kertis said. “With the shutdown extended into a third week we felt it was time to step up our response. TSA workers are staying on the job without a paycheck. We hope we can provide some food for their families and eliminate one concern during a difficult time.”

Information For Families Affected By The Partial Government Shutdown

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With the partial Federal Government Shutdown now entering a third week and Arizona families missing paychecks as a result, St. Mary’s Food Bank is here to provide help to those who suddenly find themselves in in need of emergency food.

For those who have never been to the food bank and are unsure of the process, it Is a simple one. St. Mary’s has more than 500 agency partner locations in the state and one is likely in your neighborhood. You can visit our main locations in Phoenix (3131 West Thomas Road) or Surprise (13050 West Elm Street) for immediate food assistance and information on the closest agency partner near your home to receive food.

You can also call St. Mary’s Food Bank at (602) 242-FOOD or visit our website at stmarysfoodbank.org for more information on receiving food during this difficult time.

This week, St. Mary’s sent 150 emergency food boxes and other assorted staple food items to the Grand Canyon to assist families who work at the park and have been furloughed during the shutdown.

Our Goal Is To Provide More Than 11,000 Turkeys At the Annual Holiday Distribution

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With Thanksgiving now just 17 days away, St. Mary’s Food Bank is more than 7,500 turkeys shy of its goal for its 25th annual Holiday Food Distribution that serves more than 11,000 families.  

Of particular concern is that total is more than 1,000 turkeys behind the pace of last year, when the food bank was able to meet its goal a few days before the distribution.

“Thanksgiving comes very early this year – on the 22nd of November – and that combined with a slow start to donations makes for a concerning situation with so little time to reach our goal,” St. Mary’s Director of Media Relations Jerry Brown said. “If you have supported this incredible effort in the past we ask that you remember those in need and donate a turkey to ensure Arizona families will be able to have the comfort of a traditional Thanksgiving meal with their loved ones.”

St. Mary’s is accepting donations at its locations in Phoenix (2831 N. 31st Avenue) and Surprise (13050 West Elm Street) Monday through Friday from 8 am to 4 pm and volunteers will be at 30 Albertsons and Safeway locations for the annual Super Saturday Turkey Drive on Saturday, November 17 to collect your donations of food and funds.

For a map of locations click HERE

12th Annual Super Saturday Turkey Drive Saturday, Nov. 17th

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Help St. Mary’s Reach Goal of Collecting 7,000 Donated Turkeys and Holiday Boxes

The 100-degree temperatures are finally in Arizona’s rear-view mirror. This means it’s almost Turkey Time – and St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance’s Super Saturday is just around the corner!

St. Mary’s will hold its 12th annual Super Saturday Turkey Drive, presented by Mobile Mini, on Saturday, Nov. 17 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Food Bank locations in Phoenix and Surprise as well as 28 Albertsons and Safeway locations around the Valley striving to meet the anticipated need for the 2018 holiday season.

The Food Bank distributed more than 11,000 Holiday Food Boxes in the three days leading up to Thanksgiving in 2017. Each year, hopes are that each will contain a turkey and other assorted holiday dinner items giving Arizona families the chance to enjoy the comforting tradition of a holiday meal.

In addition to helping reach the goal of 7,000 donated turkeys, St. Mary’s Food Bank staff and scores of volunteers will gladly accept any monetary or food donations (both perishable and non-perishable) on Super Saturday. All donors are invited to register for a chance to win 50,000 AAdvantage miles for Travel donated by American Airlines.

“As the CEO of one of Arizona’s largest publicly traded companies, I am proud to serve on the board of St. Mary’s Food Bank and roll up my sleeves on Super Saturday alongside hundreds of volunteers,” Mobile Mini President and CEO Erik Olsson said. “I will be joined by Mobile Mini employees and their families in helping combat hunger this holiday season.”

Look for the giant inflatable turkey and smiling St. Mary’s volunteers ready for your visit at the following 30 Super Saturday locations around the Valley:

(Click here for an interactive map)

Food Bank Locations (2)

  • Del Webb: 2831 N 31st Ave, Phoenix, 85009
  • Surprise: 13050 W Elm St., Surprise, 85378

Albertson’s Locations (11)

  • 5040 W Cactus Rd, Glendale, 85304 (51st and Cactus)
  • 8035 N 19th Ave, Phoenix AZ 85021 (19th Ave and Northern)
  • 2785 N Scottsdale Rd, Scottsdale AZ 85257 (Thomas and Scottsdale Rd)
  • 6965 N Hayden Rd, Scottsdale AZ 85250 (Indian Bend and Hayden)
  • 4747 E Greenway Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85032 (Greenway and Tatum)
  • 8950 W Bell Rd, Peoria AZ 85382 (91st and Bell)
  • 18411 N Cave Creek Rd, Phoenix AZ 85032 (Cave Creek and Union Hills)
  • 8240 W Deer Valley Rd, Peoria, AZ 85382 (83rd and Deer Valley)
  • 3130 W Carefree Hwy, Phoenix AZ 85086 (Carefree and I-17 Freeway)
  • 21001 N Tatum Blvd, Phoenix AZ 85050 (Tatum and Deer Valley)
  • 12970 W Indian School Rd, Litchfield Park, AZ 85340 (Indian School and Dysart)

Safeway Locations (17)

  • 520 W Osborn Rd, Phoenix AZ 85013 (7th Ave and Osborn)
  • 10926 W Bell Rd, Sun City AZ 85373 (Bell and Del Webb Blvd)
  • 4747 E Elliot Rd, Phoenix AZ 85044 (48th and Elliot)
  • 4005 E Chandler Blvd, Phoenix AZ 85044 (40th St and Chandler Blvd)
  • 1500 E Cedar Ave, Flagstaff AZ 86001 (Not using SMFBA Resources)
  • 23565 N Scottsdale Rd, Scottsdale AZ 85255 (Pinnacle Peak and Scottsdale)
  • 13733 Fountain Hills Blvd, Fountain Hills AZ 85268 (Fountain Hills and Palisades Blvd)
  • 20901 N Pima Rd, Scottsdale AZ 85255 (Pima and Thompson Peak)
  • 6501 E Greenway Pkwy, Scottsdale AZ 85254 (64th St and Greenway)
  • 13440 N 7th St, Phoenix AZ 85022 (7th St and Thunderbird)
  • 10773 N Scottsdale Rd, Scottsdale AZ 85254 (Scottsdale Rd and Shea)
  • 3132 E Camelback Rd, Phoenix AZ 85016 (32nd St and Camelback)
  • 13503 Camino del Sol, Sun City West AZ 85375 (Camino del Sol and NRH Johnson Blvd)
  • 4750 E Indian School Rd, Phoenix AZ 85018 (Indian School and Arcadia Dr)
  • 14175 W Indian School Rd, Goodyear, AZ 85395 (Indian School and Litchfield)
  • 10641 W Olive Ave, Peoria, AZ 85345 (107th Ave and Olive)
  • 3655 W Anthem Way, Anthem, AZ 85086 (Anthem Way and I-17 Freeway)

St. Mary’s Food Bank To Send Truckload To Hurricane Michael Victims

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This afternoon, St. Mary’s Food Bank was asked to activate in its role as responder to national disasters and provide a truckload of food to the victims of Hurricane Michael in Florida. Now that the search and rescue efforts have wound down, the emphasis changes to providing food to those who have either been displaced from their homes or remain without power.

The food bank will be compiling the requested items during the weekend and a truck will leave for the Second Harvest Food Bank of Big Bend in Tallahassee Florida early next week.

We have received many calls from Arizonans wondering how they can help. In order to get this food to where it needs to be as soon as possible, St. Mary’s will pull from its own shelves for the disaster relief. That leaves us short on the types of foods that will depart – peanut butter, canned fruits and vegetables, ready-to-eat canned meals and other non-perishables. We are asking for your help by making a cash donation to www.firstfoodbank.org or by donating our most-needed food items to drive boxes at your nearest Goodwill location.

St. Mary’s has responded to several disasters in the past year. This has taxed our reserves, especially in the past 30 days. With the holidays soon upon us, please consider helping us replenish now.

Please Give Now

Take Action Against Hunger, Feed a Struggling Neighbor

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Today, you can help feed a hungry neighbor. Right here in our area we distribute enough food for 250,000 meals every day to people at risk of going hungry.

We believe that everyone should have access to food. That is why September Hunger Action Month is so important – 30 days of focusing on ending hunger and increasing awareness that there is still a lot to be done.

For example, the steeply rising cost of food, rent and basic necessities is making it extremely difficult for low-income families, seniors and others in need. Our neighbors are suffering.

There are seniors who have worked hard all their lives, yet they are skipping meals to pay for their medications. If not for St. Mary’s, they would have nothing to eat.

Imagine children going to school hungry. They can’t concentrate on schoolwork because their stomachs are growling. Boys and girls from low-income families have the most difficult time on Mondays because they have had very little to eat over the weekend. They are tired and have very little energy.

But you can make a real difference by taking action today!

For every $1 you send, we can distribute enough food for 7 meals. Just think how many neighbors you can help today! Thank you for your continued partnership to fight hunger in our community.