Over 1 Million People in Arizona Face Food Insecurity
According to Feeding America, there are over 1,000,000 Arizonans who face food insecurity. Food insecurity refers to when people don't have enough to eat or don't know where their next meal will come from. 1 in 7 Arizona adults occasionally or constantly lacks access to food. And 1 in 5 children experiences hunger.
Growing Demand for Food
Demand at Arizona’s food banks has grown by more than 33% since 2020 — from 450,000 people per month to 600,000. With the rising cost of living, especially the rising costs of groceries, we’re seeing more need than ever in the community. Families living paycheck-to-paycheck are struggling to make ends meet and keep their kids fed.
Rising Poverty Levels
According to 2023 census data, 12.4% of Arizonans live in poverty. The official U.S. poverty rate for 2023 was 11.1%, representing 36.8 million people. According to Feeding America's Elevating Voices Report, people facing hunger struggle with high living costs, expensive housing, unemployment, and low-wage jobs.
Our Solution
Times of great need call for bold action. That's why St. Vincent de Paul is uniting community members, groups and networks statewide to collect food for Arizona families facing food insecurity. The effort reaches Southern Arizona and Tucson all the way to Yuma, Parker, Flagstaff, and everywhere in between. All the food collected in each area stays in the local community, helping to feed your neighbors in need.
SVdP Programs Meeting the Need
Since 1946, St. Vincent de Paul has addressed food insecurity in central and northern Arizona by delivering food boxes to families and individuals in need through 80+ community food pantries. We also prepare and serve thousands of hot meals a day through our dining rooms, shelters, and 30+ community partners.
Providing groceries for families in need
Unique from traditional food banks where families stand in line for a food box to take home, we honor each person’s dignity and privacy by taking the food and help to those in need. Specially trained volunteers, called Vincentians, operate and run over 80 community food pantries out of Catholic churches in central and northern Arizona. Each location answers calls for help and serves its community–it’s truly an effort organized for neighbors to help neighbors.
Our central food bank is the engine that powers our community pantries. Thanks to grocery partners, generous donors and hundreds of community food drives, our food bank receives and processes over 3.37 million pounds of food to distribute to our network of community food pantries. Canned sources of protein like tuna, chicken and soups are especially needed year-round.
Providing hot meals for families and individual in need
Daily hunger and poor nutrition take an emotional and stressful toll on people. That’s why our core programming includes serving nutritious, prepared meals at four dining rooms across metropolitan Phoenix and at more than two dozen nonprofit partners who lack kitchen facilities of their own.
Together, we serve community members who are experiencing homelessness or whose income levels are below the poverty level.
When someone visits one of our dining rooms, it’s rarely just about eating. In addition to hot, nutritious meals, our dining rooms are points of connection to other services and programs. We partner with community agencies and our own case managers to provide health screenings, mental health counseling, shelter, clothing, workforce readiness and other vital services to help people get back on their feet.
Stories of Progress
Lights on and food in fridge
SVdP was there for a single mom of six after car trouble caused her tight budget to fall short
What is a Vincentian?
Hear from Vincentians, including VESS Director Irma Leyendecker, on the calling to serve neighbors in need, deep sense of compassion, and network of impact across Arizona
Celebrating a Vincentian's 100th birthday and 40 years of service
SVdP looks back on Santé Céolin's lifetime of service from the French Resistance to helping northern Arizonans in need