State's Effort to Cut Access to Health Care Could Cost Billions
In an effort to reduce the State's deficit, the Republican-dominated Legislature has reduced or eliminated health insurance for over 300,000 low-income residents. But those measures have apparently run afoul of new rules in the just-signed health reform bill. Unless the reductions are reversed, Arizona could lose almost $7 billion in Federal funds. For more information on this, visit http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2010/03/23/20100323kids-care-cost-arizona-billions.html.

Help St. Mary's "Be More Humble"

Channel 8 PBS is honoring non-profits throughout Arizona by sponsoring the Be More Awards. St. Mary's has entered the competition on behalf of its Community Kitchen program. Among the awards to be presented is the "Be More Humble" Award, given to the non-profit that gets the most votes in an on-line poll. So you can go to www.azpbs.org/bemore every day through April 12 and vote for St. Mary's; tell your friends, relatives, business associates, etc. to join you in voting.

A Good Source for Info On Poverty & Obesity

The Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) is a good resource for information on obesity, especially as it relates to children. It quotes Census/USDA data showing that 16.7 million children (22.5% of all children) in America live in food insecure households, and 25% of kids aged 2-5 and 33% of school-aged kids are overweight or obese. A visit to http://www.frac.org/ will provide more info, as well as highlighting government programs that help keep children healthy. For a local (Arizona) organization fighting childhood obesity, visit http://endchildhungeraz.org/.

Get a Ticket to Ride and Help St. Mary's

This Friday, Feb. 26, bring 3 non-perishable food items or a $3 donation to St. Mary's Food Bank to Encanto Park's Enchanted Island Amusement Park and enjoy unlimited rides from 4:30pm-7:30pm. You can try the carousel, train, bumper boats, or any of the other attractions while providing food to those in need in Arizona. For more info, call 602 254-1200 or visit http://www.enchantedisland.com/.

They Picked . . . They Came . . . They Conquered

Under the most adverse of conditions, Super Sitrus Saturday was a big success. Many people were not going to let a little(?) rain stop them from bringing in their oranges and grapefruit to our locations in Arcadia and Central Phoenix. Almost 20,000 pounds (that's 10 tons, folks) was collected. Thanks also to our volunteers and staff (including yours truly) who gave of their time to help. If you've gleaned fruit and couldn't make it to our locations on Saturday, you can drop it off at our 31st Ave. or Surprise locations.

If You Glean It, We Will Come

This Saturday, Feb. 20, from 9-2, St. Mary's Food Bank will be holding its first "Super Sitrus Saturday". People throughout the Valley can glean their trees and bring the fruit to either North Phoenix Baptist Church (Central & Bethany Home) or Shepherd of the Hills Church (56th St. & Lafayette Blvd.) in Arcadia. Also anyone who brings fruit to Shepherd of the Hills will be eligible for a "thank you" car wash. The Food Bank is hoping to collect a total of 2.5 million pounds throughout the Valley by March 31. If you want to become a volunteer gleaner, call Chuck at 602 343-5658

They Came, They Saw, They Gleaned

Kudos to Willow Canyon High School in Surprise. Last weekend a group of 90 volunteers, including students, staff, and parents, gleaned citrus trees in the Sun City area. When they had finished, a total of 40,380 pounds of citrus had been donated to St. Mary's Food Bank. The Food Bank, which is hoping to collect 2.5 million pounds of citrus by March 31, will use the citrus both for their food boxes and to trade to other food banks for local fruits and veggies (e.g., potatoes, apples, and onions).