What is Food Insecurity?

Food Insecurity is the Lack of Consistent Access to Adequate Food

In Arizona, food insecurity is a problem 2 million Arizonans are faced with every year. Nearly 30% of our neighbors are considered working poor, living on wages that barely cover housing and other basic necessities.

With little money to spare for food, many in our community — friends, family, coworkers — often go without food for meals at a time and have no other choice than to purchase the cheapest, sometimes expired, groceries to feed themselves and their families.

Poverty is a very real problem for Arizonans, but together we can find a way to ease the burden on our hungry neighbors.
Help end hunger in our community.

1 in 5 Arizona Children, like Claire, Grow up in Poverty With Food Insecurity

Children that lack access to healthy food are more likely to struggle with educational setbacks and further health-related hardships down the line, such as Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and obesity. St. Mary’s understands that a regular diet of nutritious food not only helps kids grow, but it also helps them stay alert and focused in the classroom. With the help of our faithful donors, St. Mary’s provides healthy meals to children through school lunch programs and the Weekend Family Backpack Program.

Thanks to Your Support, We've Touched Countless Lives

With the support of our generous donors, and the help of 600+ partner agencies, St. Mary’s Food Bank distributed 102,227,360 pounds of food last year throughout most of Arizona.