If you’re searching for food banks in Arizona, we’re here to help. Below we’ve featured 10 top food banks from across the state.
1. Cultural Cup Food Bank
Since 2003, the Cultural Cup Food Bank in Phoenix has served those Maricopa County families and individuals struggling with food poverty and insecurity. Eligible visitors can receive emergency food bags, baby items, toiletries, household items, and even clothes, if needed. Cultural Cup also caters to cultural and dietary needs, such as kosher, halal, vegetarian, and gluten-free.
There are many ways to donate money or food, which can be found here. If you’d like to volunteer or have other questions about their services, you can contact them using their online form found here.
2. Desert Mission Food Bank
While the Desert Mission Food Bank has been running under its current name since the 1950s, its origins are even earlier, as one of the outreach programs of the “Angels of the Desert” mission programs. That spirit of giving and helping those less fortunate continues today through its multiple programs for those struggling with food insecurity: a monthly emergency food box, baby food box, a discounted grocery market, and children’s food bags for weekends and summers.
You can help Desert Mission by donating money via this page or scroll to the bottom to find out how to donate food and other needed items. If you’d like to volunteer at the bank, complete the form at this page, or you can always contact them directly for any other information.
3. Desert Manna Food Pantry
The Desert Manna Food Pantry has been assisting families and individuals in the East Mesa area since 2003. They open once a week to provide one box a week of emergency food to those eligible and stay open until their food for the week runs out. The available food changes each week depending on donations but almost always includes dried pasta and rice, canned goods, frozen meat, and various baked goods.
There are lots of ways to help the pantry found about halfway down the website: you can donate nonperishable items which haven’t expired, you can volunteer to pack boxes or distribute them during the pantry open days, or you can donate money directly to the pantry to help run the refrigerated food truck and purchase food to distribute. Contact them by email to find out more.
4. Resurrection Street Ministry Food Program
Since beginning as a street-based outreach program in 1984, Resurrection Street Ministry’s food assistance program in Mesa has sought to help alleviate the food poverty and insecurity of those low income and struggling families and individuals in Mesa, Chandler, and surrounding areas. Eligible individuals can visit once a week to collect food boxes packed with nutritious food, such as dairy, bread, fresh produce, baked goods, snacks, canned goods, other nonperishable items, and when available, even frozen meat, pre-prepared meals, deli items, and toiletries.
If you’d like to support their cause by volunteering, you can find out how by visiting this site. If you’d like to donate food or money, or if you have any other questions about their program, contact them via their online form or calling them at the phone number found here.
5. Tucson Neighborhood Food Pantry
The Tucson Neighborhood Food Pantry has sought to alleviate hunger and food insecurity in the Tucson area since 2013. Twice a week, visitors can collect emergency boxes of perishable and nonperishable food items from their food distribution center in the Colonia Del Valle area of Tucson.
You can donate money to help support the pantry. They are also in dire need of volunteers and food items and other stuffs; a full list what they accept for donation can be found here. Contact them directly to find out how to donate these items.
6. Interfaith Community Services Food Bank
As the second largest food banks in Pima County, the Interfaith Community Services Food Bank in Tucson provides one box of emergency food provisions each month (twice a month, if there are enough food provisions), as well as small boxes of toiletries to those that are homeless or are in crisis.
These boxes are made up entirely of food items donated by the community, and as such, the Interfaith Community Services Food Bank relies on local food donations and food drives. You can find out how to donate food and other needed items on this page, or donate money directly by following the instructions here. If you’d like to volunteer to at the food bank, check out this page or contact them directly.
7. Hope for Hunger Food Bank
As an outreach program of the Phoenix Rescue Mission, the Hope for Hunger Food Bank provides residents of Glendale and surrounding areas with emergency food provisions to help them get out of an immediate food crisis. The food bank is open five mornings a week and provide food boxes with nutritious (and often fresh) food to eligible families and individuals once a month.
You can donate money to help fund the food bank via this page. If you’d like to donate perishable foods, you can bring them by the pantry during their open hours; otherwise, all nonperishable foods can be donated to the warehouse during their open hours found on this page. You can also find out how to volunteer or contact the food bank on that page.
8. Tempe Community Action Agency
The Tempe Community Action Agency food pantry in Tempe provides twice-monthly emergency food boxes to struggling seniors, individuals, and families in the Tempe area. They also provide daily food bags to those who are living rough or experiencing homelessness and monthly school boxes for school-aged children suffering food poverty on the weekends or in the summers.
You can help the Tempe Community Action Agency by volunteering to deliver or pack food boxes, donating food or organizing a food drive, or even donating money directly to help purchase or deliver food for the pantry. Contact them directly if you have any other questions.
9. Extended Hands Food Bank
Pastor David Iverson opened the Extended Hands Food Bank in 2004 to fill the gap left by the now-defunct Fountain Hills food bank. Located in Fountain Hills, Extended Hands Food Bank’s mission is to provide peace of mind to the struggling families and individuals of the Northeast Valley with the knowledge that they can always find food for themselves and their families, even when times are tough.
Because Extended Hands Food Bank is an independent charity, they rely entirely on help from the local community. You can provide this help in multiple ways: donating money to the mission, donating food during open hours, or volunteering to help pack or distribute food to those in need. Contact them if you have other questions or need any other information.
10. Oasis Food Pantry
Located in Scottsdale, the Oasis Food Pantry provides an ‘open market’ style food pantry for needy visitors to choose their emergency food boxes for the month. Each Saturday, families and individuals can shop with a volunteer and choose from items such as canned soups, spaghetti, fruits and vegetables, as well as dried goods such as cereals, rice, and pasta.
You can give money or food directly to the food pantry by following the instructions at this page. You can apply to volunteer at the pantry by completing the volunteer form at the bottom of the webpage or click the ‘contact’ button to find out how to donate food or money.
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