The Miracle of St. Mary's Food Bank Documentary 2022
In 2022, St. Mary's Food Bank has served more food to more people than in any year since we opened in 1967.
Current economic conditions make it challenging for those who work but just don't make enough to make ends meet. Because of local Arizona donors, St. Mary's is able to help bridge that gap for so many in need. If you are in a position where you are able to help, please consider donating to St. Mary's Food Bank. Cut your Arizona state taxes up to $800 with the Arizona Charitable Tax Credit. Donate to St. Mary's Food Bank this year and you may receive a dollar-for-dollar tax credit through your 2022 Arizona tax return. Individuals can receive up to $400 and couples filing jointly up to $800. St. Mary’s Food Bank is a Qualifying Charitable Organization and equally important is certified on the Department of Revenue’s website for Donations made to Qualifying Charitable Organizations. Your Arizona Charitable Tax Credit Donation to St. Mary’s Food Bank can be included in your Federal Tax Deductions in addition to the Arizona Charitable Tax Credit. St. Mary’s Food Bank Qualifying Organization Code (QCO) is 20208. Please consult a qualified tax advisor for personal tax advice.
The Poor we shall always have with us. But Why the Hungry? This was the driving theme that inspired a worldwide movement more than 50 years ago. The United States of America is one of the most industrialized producers of food in the entire world. Here in the U.S., we are so successful at food production that every day, nearly 40% of food produced in the U.S. will go uneaten or discarded. Soup kitchens, shelters, and local churches have been providing free meals for over a century. But these places provide one meal at a time and only to those who are physically able to show up. A place where a family or a shelter could get a week’s worth of groceries, for all of the people they feed, simply did not exist. Until the 1960’s when a compassionate man named John Van Hengel along with a few other resourceful Phoenicians came up with a simple, yet groundbreaking notion; - gather food where there is an abundance and deliver it to those in need. A simple thought that no one had dreamt prior to 1967. So, with a three thousand dollar loan from his church, St. Mary’s Basilica, John Van Hengel secured an old abandoned bakery in South Phoenix and opened St. Mary’s Food Bank…. The World’s First Food Bank. So why the name Food Bank? What started out as an innovative idea to help feed the hungry has blossomed into a worldwide movement. Currently, there are over 200 food banks in the United States, and hundreds more around the world helping tens of millions of people every day find their next meal and transition into self-sustainability. All thanks to a man and his desire to help those in need. Over Fifty years later, St. Mary’s Food Bank has distributed well over one billion meals. That’s enough to feed the entire population of the United States, Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner with plenty of leftovers.
Since 1967, St. Mary’s Food Bank remains a team of extraordinarily compassionate and innovative people who just happen to be operating the world’s first food bank. Their number one goal remains to work themselves out of business when going out of business means ending hunger. And for that, tens of millions of people around the world are grateful.
