Abby Rosen has been with the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona for more than seven years, and prior to that was a volunteer for two years. Abby lives in Catalina, Arizona with her family, children, and goats/other farm animals.
Abby spoke with us about the Community Food Banks current operation, those served in the community, services offered, and the significant assistance being provided.
The Community Food Bank serves the five southern counties of Arizona and has 8 locations including farms, resource centers, & distribution centers. They have 170 permanent staff and work with more than 250 partners. They have an annual budget of $17-19 MM per year, and with food donations increased to $24 MM per year. The Food Bank is currently serving more than 30,000 households, which has increased by more than 50 percent recently due to the pandemic. The Marana Resource Center alone serves 800 families per month. They offer more than 60,000 pounds of food, including 40,000 pounds of produce. A number of the current 30,000 households being served have never had to utilize a food bank before.
In addition to the food bank, they also assist households with SNAP, budgeting optimization, resolving residence utilities issues, virtual cooking classes for dietary improvement, & community gardening. The food bank recently revamped their food box to offer even healthier alternatives.
The DM Rotary Club has had a long and continued relationship with the Community Food Bank, which includes:
- Constructing benches for the food bank’s entrance.
Click here to read more about clubs bench construction and other club service projects. - A Benefit Concert at the Gaslight Music Hall parking lot, benefiting the food bank.
Click here to read more about this benefit concert.