PHOENIX, AZ – Believe it or not, the vacation is only two short months away. When your kids are making their Christmas lists and you start planning an elaborate Christmas dinner with all the trimmings, this is also a perfect opportunity to look for ways to help and give back to your Phoenix neighbors. One way is to make sure everyone in Phoenix has their own Christmas dinner and full bellies on Christmas Day. A hearty vacation meal is simply not possible for millions of families in Phoenix and other US cities. Maricopa County is among those where residents sometimes struggle with food insecurity, according to Feeding America, the nation’s largest network of pantries and chalkboards. Prior to the pandemic, 11.7 percent of Maricopa County’s people were considered food insecure, according to Feeding America. The ongoing economic fallout from the pandemic has raised that number to 14.2 percent, which could be on the verge of starvation. Last Christmas season, 80 percent of Feeding America’s food banks said they were serving more people than at the same time last year. This year could be similar. At the national level, Feeding America estimates that up to 42 million people – including 13 million children – could be food insecure by 2021. As a result, food banks across the country have seen an almost 55 percent increase in usage. There are many ways you can help out in advance of the holidays. Here are a few ideas: Donations to a Phoenix Food PantryFood pantries and chalkboards have seen a 55 percent increase in usage from the pandemic, according to the latest data from Feeding America, marking a decade of advances in ending hunger in the United States States were wiped out. Donating to a pantry is easy. Pantries accept any food that is “shelf stable” or non-perishable – that means you can keep it in your pantry and it won’t spoil. It’s also a good rule of thumb to only donate food that has not passed its expiration date. See a list of what to donate to pantries and what to avoid. Here are the closest pantries to the Phoenix area: United Food Bank245 S. Nina Drive, Mesa, unitedfoodbank.org St. Mary’s Food Bank2831 N. 31st Ave., Phoenixfirstfoodbank.org Volunteer at a food bank or pantry More than half of all Nutrition programs in the United States rely entirely on volunteers, according to Feeding America. While volunteering can look different depending on your location, here are a selection of the tasks you can perform: filling up storage shelves in the pantry and arranging grocery boxes for pickup. Help raise funds or raise awareness about pantry services. Deliver meals or boxes of groceries. Help distribute it in drive-thru or mobile pantries. To volunteer in Phoenix, check with any of the pantries listed above. Host a Fundraiser You can help stop hunger in Phoenix by hosting a fundraiser for Feeding America or any other local board or pantry. Not only is it a great way to tackle food insecurity, but it’s also fun to interact with others while making a difference in your community. Here are a few ways you can fundraise for Feeding America: If you prefer to fundraise for another local pantry or grocery bank, please contact them to see how you can help. Influence Your Legislators You can use your voice to speak up on behalf of those struggling with food insecurity. Federal nutrition programs are a necessity to end hunger – for every meal a pantry provides, state food programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) offer nine. Organizations like Feeding America make it easy to reach your legislator through these contact forms. Feeding America serves 200 member boards that serve and supply 60,000 pantries, kitchens, and meal programs across the country. FIND FOODFIND YOUR LOCAL FOOD BANK DONATEDONATE TO Feeding America * READ “The Impact Of Coronavirus On Food Insecurity”
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