Help From Everywhere for St. Mary's

The shelves at St. Mary's are 30% leaner than a year ago. But thanks to thousands (yes, thousands) of people, the shelves will be filling up soon. The Letter Carriers food drive has generated over 230,000 lbs. of food, a food drive held at Big Surf Water Park collected over 10,000 lbs., and the Kids Feeding Kids food drive will generate over 25,000 meals. Thanks to the organizations holding the drives, and to the people who contributed!

Kids Feeding Kids

St. Mary's Food Bank is holding its 1st Kids Feeding Kids food drive. Kids in Elementary and Middle Schools throughout the Valley are joining the drive to help those kids who face a summer without the free or reduced rate breakfasts and lunches provided during the school year. The kids know the value of a full stomach, and even those students whose lives face economic challenges are stepping up to join the drive.We hope that this first drive will lay the groundwork for students to share with others in the future.

 

Food4Fines Helps Fill Food Bank's Shelves 

Once again libraries in Phoenix have stepped up to help fill the shelves at St. Mary's Food Bank. Twelve branches collected almost 25,000lbs. through their F4F program, where borrowers can pay off overdue book fees by donating cans of food to the Food Bank.

Imagination Runs Rampant at CANstruction

Now in its fifth year in Phoenix, CANstruction shows the ability of bright minds to develop unique creations, in this case tied to the subject of hunger. The show runs through April 7 at the PHX Convention Center (West Bldg.) Monroe & 2nd Sts. At the conclusion of the show, all the cans (56,000 lbs. of them) will be donated to St. Mary's Food Bank.

So go and be amazed!

Food & Social Justice

Basic economic and nutritional security is essential for all people, with the right to have timely access to food as a nutritional and social justice issue. The financial and economic crisis that began in 2008 has devastated thousands of households throughout Arizona. Unemployment, underemployment , furloughs, salary reductions, and businesses closing have inflicted enormous cost on families, limiting their ability to access and purchase food. By now we’re all familiar with the numbers – 1 in 4 children, 1 in 5 adults, 1 in 7 seniors – of those living with poverty and hunger daily.
Given this situation, the Hunger 101 program is important because it educates the public about the issues surrounding hunger, the effects of hunger, and makes them aware of the tools to meet the challenge. One of those important tools are food drives, which provide an emotional lift to the contributors, as well as providing many of the essential items used to make up our Emergency Food Boxes.
St. Mary’s is in the front lines of the fight to provide food to those in need. As part of our mission to alleviate hunger, we distribute an average of 850 Emergency Food Boxes each day; we distribute food to nearly 600 agency sites throughout the state; and each day our Kids Cafe® distributes almost 3,000 “smiles” at after-school sites throughout the Valley. Those smiles, and yes, tears from the recipients are why we do what we do.

See "The Hunger Games" and Help St. Mary's
One of the most anticipated films of the season, Hunger Games premieres in the Valley on Mar. 23. From Mar.23-29, UltraStar Cinemas in Surprise and Scottsdale will give you some popcorn for a donation of canned food.
For more info, visit www.ultrastarmovies.com.

A Food Drive of Note - PHX Symphony Holds Drive for St. Mary's

Again this year, the PHX Symphony is holding a food drive for St. Mary's Food Bank. Bring canned food items and join the Symphony on Mar. 22 and 24 (Elgar's Enigma Variations) or on March 30, 31, or Apr.1 (the Music of Rodgers & Hammerstein).