So what is this food banking thing?

Brought to you by: ~Melody~

Before I started working in the Community Relations department at the Food Bank, I had no idea what the organization was about.  I incorrectly assumed the Food Bank was similar to a soup kitchen, where the homeless population of Phoenix could come get a meal.

I couldn’t have been more mistaken about the scope of the Food Bank’s operations.

Based on the idea of a “bank,” companies and organizations with the resources can make “deposits” of food and funds.  The Food Bank’s partner agencies (including soup kitchens, after-school programs, domestic violence shelters, and more) can make “withdrawals” for their clients.  This way partner agencies can focus their resources on other areas to better serve their clients.

In its first year, the Food Bank distributed 250,000 pounds of food to 36 local agencies.  Last fiscal year, the Food Bank distributed more than 51.5 million pounds of food.  Today, the Food Bank serves the needs of 530 agencies at 700 sites in 13 of Arizona’s 15 counties.