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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.

12th Annual CANSTRUCTION® Event Begins with construction on Saturday, July 14, 2018

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Phoenix Canstruction 2017 Recap 1

The American Institute of Architects Phoenix Metro Chapter will host the 12th Annual CANSTRUCTION® Design Build Competition, July 14-20, 2018 at the Phoenix Convention Center (100 N 3rd St, Phoenix, AZ). All proceeds from the event will benefit St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance.

Seven teams of architectural, engineering and construction firms will compete to display their talents while feeding the hungry. In the last ten years, the CANSTRUCTION® event has been able to donate over 440,000 pounds of canned goods to St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance. The event has become the largest single-event donations for the Food Bank, with more than 51,000 cans used to construct incredibly imaginative designs last year.

All of the non-perishable items used during Phoenix CANSTRUCTION® 2018 are donated to St. Mary’s Food Bank to help fill the more than 400,000 Emergency Food Boxes St. Mary’s distributes into the community annually.

This year seven teams will have 12 hours to build their structures in a 10x10x10 foot space on the morning of Saturday, July 14 beginning at 8 a.m. These unique works of art will be on display for the public to view, beginning Sunday, July 15 continuing through Friday, July 20 at the Phoenix Convention Center.

During the first week of exhibition, the public is encouraged to vote for the People’s Choice award at the Convention Center or at Facebook.com/phoenixcanstruction.

The CANSTRUCTION® teams have the opportunity to win awards for the can structures for the following categories Best Use of Labels, Best Meal, Structural Ingenuity, Most Cans and Jurors’ Favorite by a panel of judges. Winning teams will be honored at an Awards Ceremony and dinner on Thursday, July 26.

Arizona Diamondbacks Hold Hunger Awareness Night Friday, June 22 At Chase Field

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PHOENIX – Summertime is here. Kids need breakfast to start the day. And you can help.

The Arizona Diamondbacks and Arizona Milk Producers are teaming up to help St. Mary’s Food Bank with a special for Hunger Awareness Night on Friday, June 29 at Chase Field, before the Diamondbacks meet the San Francisco Giants at 6:40 p.m.

Here’s the deal: Just bring three boxes of cereal or donate $10 – which St. Mary’s will use to distribute enough food for 70 meals this summer – and you will gain entry into a raffle with a chance to win one of three special Diamondback prize packages.

Each winner will receive four tickets to a future Diamondbacks game AND four passes to watch batting practice ON THE FIELD before the game! In addition each winner will receive, either a PAUL GOLDSCHMIDT autographed bat, an ARCHIE BRADLEY autographed baseball or an AJ POLLOCK autographed photo.

Just look for the St. Mary’s Food Bank truck and the special raffle booth on the main plaza beginning at 4:30 p.m. to make your donation and enter the raffle.

Help feed kids this summer and earn a chance to take home free tickets and a great piece of memorabilia from your favorite Diamondbacks stars!

To see full flyer click HERE!

St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance Announces Sponsorship Of Our 2018 Summer Food Service Program

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St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance Announces Sponsorship Of Our 2018 Summer Food Service Program

Food Served in Partnership with School, Church and Recreation Programs

Phoenix – St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance again assumes sponsorship of the 2018 Summer Food Service Program for Children and will provide meals at the following locations.  The purpose of the program is to help ease demand summer food, particularly among children who take part in the free breakfast and lunch programs during the school year.

Meals will be made available free to all eligible children in the following OPEN sites 18 years of age and under within the approved geographical area without discrimination against any child because of race, color, national origin, sex age or disability.   Any person who believes that he/she has been discriminated against in any USDA related activity should write immediately to the Secretary of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 20250.

Listed below are the dates, times and locations meals will be provided for children in more than a dozen cities around Arizona. Please contact the person listed to check on space and enrollment qualifications.

For an interactive map, click HERE.

2018 Summer Food Sites - Downloadable PDF