Shocking proposal from the U.S. House of Representatives

Please take a few moments as St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance President and CEO Terry Shannon weighs in on the recent shocking proposal from the U.S. House of Representatives to cut food assistance for our nation's hungry by more than $33 billion.
This Op Ed appeared in both the Arizona Republic and USA Today this past weekend.
Full article at: http://www.usatoday.com/USCP/PNI/Editorial/2012-04-21-PNI0421opi-shannonPNIBrd_ST_U.htm

Move for Hunger Collects More Than 3,000 Pounds at Annual ASU Undie Run

Arizona State University Students are preparing for the annual rite of spring: Final exams. But before they hit the books for the last study session, more than 10,000 Sun Devils took part in the annual Undie Run through ASU’s Tempe campus on Tuesday, April 24.

The students not only stripped down to their skivvies and donated... the clothes off their backs – more than 4 tons was donated last year – to local charities, students also cleaned out their dorm pantries for the summer and donated their food to Move For Hunger, who turned over more than 3,000 pounds of canned food items to St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance on April 25.
This event has donated more than 6,000 pounds over the last two years, food that goes right into the more than 30,000 emergency food boxes St. Mary’s distributes into the community each month. The Food Bank would like to thank Adam Lowy and all the crew at Move for Hunger and all the ASU students for helping others and having a safe and fun event.

It's EASY BEING GREEN! R U GREEN? Is some1 u kno GREEN?

There’s still time to join the others with the GREEN Food Drive in a critical effort to help meet the challenges of Hunger in Arizona by participating in our first annual GREEN Food Drive, April 15th-30th.

This drive is focused toward organizations involved with solar energy, water conservation, recycling, organic farming, pollution reduction, climatic change issues, as well as other “Green-related” products, services and advocacy. Oh yes, since it is a GREEN Food Drive, we are asking for donations of only green foods or food items in green containers.
So, JOIN US and the others already on board with this effort to help sustain our communities’ nutrition and health.
For further details, please contact Chet Provorse at 602-343-3169 or cdprovorse@firstfoodbank.org

Sign-a-Rama Provides Kids Cafe Open Signs on St. Mary’s Trucks

St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance would like to thank Ken Parsons and Sign-a-Rama for the great graphics promoting our Kids Cafe Open on all our St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance trucks. With our fleet logging approximately 1,000 collecting and distributing food each day, it’s a great way to let everyone know that it’s once again time to tee off on hunger!

We still have room for individuals, foursomes and those who would like to donate auction items to the 11th Annual Kids Cafe Open on Friday, Mar. 30 at the fabulous Wigwam gold and blue courses. Call (602) 343-3148 for more information or log on to www.firstfoodbank.org

Make a Food Donation to Bakery Outlet Food Drive – and Sara Lee will Add a Loaf of Bread

During the month of March, St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance’s good friends at Sara Lee will help make your donations to help feed the hungry of Arizona go even further. With each non-perishable food donation made that their Sara Lee Bakery Outlets, the company will add a loaf of bread to that donation. Bread is ...always a welcome addition to emergency food boxes and St. Mary’s would like to thank Sara Lee, a huge supporter in the fight against hunger, for their continued efforts.
Stop by the Sara Lee Bakery outlet in Phoenix (4015 N. 16th Street) and Glendale (6766 West Glendale Avenue, #145) and drop off a food donation while you enjoy the many fabulous Sara Lee products. And when you do, a loaf of bread will be added to your donation at no cost.
We like Sara Lee at St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance. But then again … nobody doesn’t like Sara Lee.

Get a Wellness Exam For Your Pet For Just $10 – or a With a Donation To St. Mary’s

Get a Wellness Exam For Your Pet For Just $10 – or a With a Donation To St. Mary’s

Allergy season is on the horizon and that means not just you but your pets will be in need of care.

The Animal Hospital of Grayhawk is doing a food drive for St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance for the entire month of March. Anyone customers who donate non-perishable food items for the hungry of Arizona is eligible for a pet wellness Exam for $10, and each pet vaccine will cost only $15. That’s a significant savings and a great chance to provide food for those in need.

The Animal Hospital of Grayhawk is located at 20801 N. Scottsdale Rd. #101 in Scottsdale. For more information on their services, visit www.animalhospitalatgrayhawk.com.

AAFB EXPANDS ADVOCACY COVERAGE

As bills are being heard in the state legislature at the present moment, our elected officials need to hear your voice in support of Arizonans struggling with hunger and poverty, and the programs that serve them.
We’ve weighed in on bills that affect food banks and those they serve on our updated AAFB Advocacy Page, which features information on both state and national issues.
Breaking news can always be found on the AAFB Facebook page.
Make your voice be heard by speaking up to your legislators and subscribing to our email advocacy updates by sending an email with "subscribe to AAFB Advocacy Team" in the subject line

Meeting the Need in Challenging Times

SAVE THE DATE -- REGISTER  ----   Meeting the Need in Challenging Times:
The Arizona Food Bank Network Conference
When: Wednesday, April 25, 2012, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (registration opens at 7:30 a.m.)
Where: Vineyard Church North Phoenix in Glendale, Arizona
Continental Breakfast & Lunch Provided - No Registration Fee
RSVP to Brian Simpson at 602-528-3434 or brian@azfoodbanks.org
Details at: http://www.azfoodbanks.org/index.php/conference

Statistics on what happens to kids in child-welfare system grim
Full Story at:  http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/articles/2012/02/25/20120225child-welfare-system-statistics-grim.html

Arizona program cuts put strain on families

Over the past four years, Arizona lawmakers faced with huge budget deficits have balanced the state's budget in part by cutting more than $300 million from programs that help struggling families before they reach the point where they abandon, abuse or neglect their children. Studies show many of the programs cut since 2008 work to improve parenting, strengthen families and reduce the incidence of child abuse and neglect, often by helping parents to provide safe, nurturing, stable homes.

For many families, help paying for food and utilities or finding substance-abuse treatment can provide the stability they need to stay afloat. But families in severe cases, such as Fulbright's, need a myriad of services -- like job training, housing and child care -- to become self-sufficient. The loss of a job and a late custody payment started Fulbright on a downward spiral, a situation many families that live paycheck to paycheck face.

Full Story at: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2012/02/26/20120226cps-arizona-cuts-strain-families.html



Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2012/02/26/20120226cps-arizona-cuts-strain-families.html#ixzz1nbE8Cyj8

More than Food, Money & Time

We share this video with our sincerest THANKS for each of you who help fight hunger in your community wherever and whenever you can. Know that you share much more than food, money and time... you share HOPE!

Video of Hope at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tn7Lrm_HM3w

Social media usage makes teens AWARE

Recent reserach has shown that social media usage makes teens more aware of others' needs.

About 55 percent of teens ages 13 to 17 said Facebook and Twitter have opened their eyes to what others are experiencing, according to an online study conducted by Harris Interactive And 91 percent felt it was important to volunteer in the community.
Moreways to serve your community:  www.firstfoodbank.org

Boy Scouts Donate Nearly 12,000 Pounds of Food To St. Mary’s

 ... during 2012 Scouting for Food Drive

More than doubling their total from last year, the Phoenix and Westside Boy Scouts taking part in the 2012 “Scouting for Food” Food Drive had a successful day on Feb. 5. With more food coming in from other packs this week, St. Mary’s has already received 11,779 pounds of non-perishable food items for the hungry of Arizona.
Scouting for Food will collect hundreds of thousands of pounds of food across the country as a result of this drive to benefit the hungry of America. St. Mary’s salutes the work of not only Boy Scouts of America Grand Canyon Council but their leaders and parents and thanks them for their annual efforts to make a difference in the community.

COMMUNITY KITCHEN GRADUATES WITH 93 PERCENT PLACEMENT RATE

St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance would like to congratulate the latest two graduating classes of our incredibly successful Community Kitchen program. These graduates received their chef’s coats on Saturday, Feb. 4, marching down the aisle to the strains of “Pomp and Circumstance” with friends, family and members of St. Mary’s staff and its Board of Directors looking on with pride.

More than 90 percent of the this class has already found steady employment within the foodservice industry, speaking to both the incredible reputation of Community Kitchen graduates within the Valley and the hard-work these students put in to prepare themselves for the next, more positive and productive, chapters in their lives.

To all the members of the Fall 2011 and Winter 2012 Classes, we wish you all the best moving forward.

11th Annual Mmmilk & Cookies Event attracts more than 500 Girl Scouts to St. Mary’s

Girl Scout cookie-selling season is again upon us, and St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance welcomed more than 500 Girl Scouts and Brownies to the Stardust Campus on Saturday for the 11th Annual Mmmmilk & Cookies Event, co-hosted by Shamrock Farms.

The girls toured the Food Bank warehouse, learned more about the need for emergency food in our community. Hunger 101 program manager Chet Provorse hosted presentations on hunger and good nutrition and talked about how the “Gift of Caring” program helps neighbors in need.

Each year, the scouts invite members of the community to purchase additional cookies to donate to St. Mary Food Bank for families and individuals in need. In addition, Shamrock Farms will again generously make a matching milk donation per cookie package donated to St. Mary’s. The cookies and milk are included in the emergency food boxes, a three-day supply of food for families in need.

The Girl Scouts were not only a great audience – and asked great questions – they brought nearly 900 pounds of non-perishable food with them as well! We wish them all lots of luck this season – although those great cookies are an easy sell at our house!

USDA Unveils Historic Improvements to Meals Served in America’s Schools

First Lady Michelle Obama and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today unveiled new standards for school meals that will result in healthier meals for kids across the nation. The new meal requirements will raise standards for the first time in more than fifteen years and improve the health and nutrition of nearly 32 million kids that participate in school meal programs every school day.



Full Story: http://www.fns.usda.gov/cga/PressReleases/2012/0023.htm

HORN OF PLENTY now available online

St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance’s HORN OF PLENTY now available online

We thank you for your interest in the fight against hunger in Arizona. By receiving your edition of the magazine via email, you are not only saving environmental resources, you are saving Food Bank resources that can be directed back to client services. With 1 in 5 Arizonans, 1 in 7 seven seniors and 1 in 4 children suffering from food insecurity, every dollar we can save on printing and mailing costs allows us to distribute seven more meals into the community.

We extend this “Thank You” to your home and hope you enjoy the articles spotlighting those helping their neighbors in need.

The online magazine can be raeched at:  http://smfba.convio.net/site/DocServer/HOPWinter2012_online.pdf?docID=141&autologin=true

EMPOWERING HABITS, EMPOWERING LIVES…

Arizona Department of Health Services, Bureau of Nutrition and Physical Activity presents…
UNLEASHING YOUR INNER SUPERHERO FOR HEALTH!
(Free Train the Trainer Workshop for Childcare Providers)
Come spend the day with the ADHS Super Hero Squad as we “Hero Up” to energize the classroom with nutrition and physical activities that build a healthier tomorrow.
Saturday, February 25th 2012, 8:00 am – 3:00 pm (4.5 Training Hours), Bonus Session 3:00 – 5:00*( 1.5 Training Hours)
Desert Willow Conference Center, 4340 East Cotton Center Boulevard, Phoenix, AZ 85040
To Register or for more information: ttps://www.surveymonkey.com/s/EmpoweringHabits_EmpoweringLives
Sessions will focus on the EMPOWER Standards related to Nutrition and Physical Activity! By the end of the day, Superhero’s for Health will have: The ability to transform the Empower Standards into fun, interactive classes; A better understanding of the powers they possess; and The tools they need to unleash inner Super Heroes for Health in their centers and community.
Questions or Comments?  Anne Whitmire at anne.whitmire@azdhs.gov or 602-364-1621

Betty Fairfax Kiddie Kollege Kids Makes a Difference

St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance would like to share a BIG THANKS with some Little donors.
Pre-schoolers at the Betty Fairfax School’s Kiddie Kollege in Laveen invited St. Mary’s Hunger 101 Program Manager Chet Provorse to chat with them about the issues of hunger and good nutrition. And the kids had a surprise for Provorse as well, gathering enough non-perishable food during an in-house drive to provide 275 meals for the one in four children across Arizona who may not have food to eat tonight.

Their desire to help and share is another reason to believe Arizona’s future will be good hands, with kids who are learning that they can make a big difference.

Sun City Grand Softball Club Donates More than 20,000 Meals

Sun City Grand Softball Club Donates More than 20,000 Meals to Surprise Families

St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance would like to thanks the players, spouses, volunteers and fans of the Sun City Grand Softball Team for helping hungry families in Surprise during it annual holiday benefit tournament at Field of Dreams ballpark in Sun City.

The four-day event included eight teams conprised of Sun City Grand Softball club members, and included a silent auction of items donated by local businesses as well as a concession stand with coffee, doughnuts, hot dogs and soft drinks for sale. Female members of the club served as coaches and not only collected player fees, they enforced “fines” made in fun and with the purposes of raising donations for both St. Mary’s and the Relay for Life event. Volunteers also donated their time to umpire, keep score, announce and groundskeep during the tournament.
The $3,000 donated to St. Mary’s will allow the Food Bank to distribute more than 20,000 meals to those in need in Sun City, Surprise and the westside. On behalf of your neighbors in need, thank you to the Sun City Grand Softball Club for including the Food Bank in this wonderful event.

An American tradition turns 100 this year

Girl Scouts, leaders, parents … Come Visit the Food Bank on Saturday, January 28

An American tradition turns 100 this year – and is about to begin again.

The annual Girl Scouts cookie sale is about to entice the world with Thin Mints, Tagalongs, Samoas, Do-Si-Dos, Trefoils, Dulce de Leche, Thank U Berry Munch, and the newest flavor, Savannah Smiles. And through the Gift of Caring program, the scouts make sure that those in need also share in the great flavors of the season.
St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance is bringing back a tradition of its own this year, inviting all Valley scouts, brownies, leaders and parents to visit our Del E. Webb Distribution Center (2831 N. 31st Avenue on Saturday, Jan. 28 from 8 a.m. to noon. Come join one of five different tours of the food bank, receive information on hunger in Arizona and tips on good nutrition from St. Mary’s Hunger 101 program and gain a better understanding of who benefits from this important Gift of Caring program.
Good luck on your cookie drive this year … and we hope to see you all on Jan.

St. Mary’s Food Bank Needs Your Citrus Donations this Winter!!!!

Today is the official kickoff of gleaning season here at St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance. We need your excess grapefruits and oranges and lemons from your backyard trees to help feed the hungry of Arizona.

We would appreciate you gleaning the trees yourself and delivering the citrus to our food bank locations in Phoenix (2831 N. 31st Avenue) or Surprise (13050 W. Elm Street). But we also have a special citrus hotline (602) 343-5658 where homeowners can call and schedule a date for volunteers to come glean your trees (volunteers will pick grapefruit and oranges trees only) and there is a tax-deductable $15 charge per tree to cover the cost of materials and transportation to the Food Bank. Volunteers will glean from January until early March, so made your reservations now.

St. Mary’s also needs your helping hands! The Food Bank does not have enough volunteers to meet the expected number of homes and areas requesting to be gleaned. If you have a few hours, a day or a weekend when yourself or your church, organization or club would like to help St. Mary’s fill their bins this winter, call the same citrus hotline number above and leave all the pertinent information.
St. Mary’s not only distributes the gleaned citrus to Arizona’s hungry, but shares the bounty with food banks in others states – in the form or frozen juice. In return, states share their surplus fruits and vegetables with St. Mary’s to help provide a variety of nutritious items for all.