When someone says the word, “Food Bank” what do you picture?
Is it rows of canned goods on a shelf? A line of people waiting for food? A closet at your church or synagogue or mosque with some food in it for those in need? My experience has been that everyone pictures something slightly different. When I give tours at United Food Bank, most people are surprised at the scale at which we distribute food to our 150 agency partners. Think more Costco and less food closet.
Operating at high volume (22.7 million pounds moved last year) and at scale allows us to not only distribute those canned goods that everyone pictures, but also a variety of other foods. We are most proud that around 30% of food we distribute is fresh produce. That’s right. Almost one third of everything we give to families in need are healthy, fresh, fruits and vegetables.
Logistically, fresh food is challenging to move around the state. That’s why we are part of a co-op with other food banks in Arizona and the Arizona Food Bank Network to acquire and distribute food from the produce docks in Nogales, Arizona. This collaboration allows us to obtain fresh produce that might otherwise go to waste, and get it quickly into our network to provide for the seniors, children and families we serve. When produce is “rescued” through this network it is inspected and packed into individual boxes. This process adds some expense but we know the quality, healthy offerings are enjoyed by our friends and neighbors. We are spending over $100,000 every year on produce but we think offering healthier options is a smart investment in healthy futures. And our donors agree, we hear from many of you showing appreciation for our focus on healthy, fresh offerings.
With the ongoing generosity and support of our network, we have been able to keep up with demand and provide more nutritious options. If you feel inspired by our mission and would like to support our program and its continued growth, please donate today.
Thank you,
Dave Richins, President & CEO of United Food Bank
