Thunderbirds Charities Awards $20,000 Grant to Fight Hunger in Arizona

The grant funds from Thunderbirds Charities will support our on-going efforts to fight hunger in Arizona. Some of our efforts include working with elected officials at the state and national level on food policy issues that affect Arizonans, supporting our member food banks by transporting food to those who need it most and purchasing food in bulk at a discount. We also partner with schools and their school districts, community organizations and other non-profits to ensure kids receive proper nutrition three times a day, seven days week through school meals and summer meal programs.

“The Arizona Food Bank Network is so appreciative of Thunderbirds Charities for this gift to help address the root causes of hunger, and to work together with communities to solve the food insecurity problem that is affecting one in every six Arizonans. Thank you!” Angie Rogers, CEO of Arizona Food Bank Network.

Ana and Jose: “He’s always happy,” Ana said, of her five-year-old son James, when asked about life-at-home during the pandemic. “The only thing that gets me sad about him is that he has no social life with other kids….I’m scared of him going out, you know, getting something.” Ana is a paraprofessional educator who hasn’t worked since March but is still drawing a paycheck, and her husband works as a clerk in a hospital, a job that has been especially stressful during the COVID-19 crisis. And while they both feel blessed to have kept their salaries, she expressed a haunting feeling of precarity. “We are very worried that we could get laid off from work. I mean...they are laying off a lot of people for the city job for the hospital. And...a lot of teachers are gonna be laid off and I’m worried.” But the food pantry at New Life Ministries, in Hempstead, New York, has given them a measure of stability as Anna and her husband do their best to support their son, James, as well as Anna’s in-laws, who live with them. Anna cooks frequently for the entire family so the pantry has allowed her to make the best of a difficult situation. “Whatever they give, we pick up. And actually, this place gives out a lot of food. Which is great. It helps a lot.” When asked about the holidays, Ana expressed regret and anxiety. “I want to be with my mom, my sister….but my...worry is us getting sick,” she said. “We lost a few family, not so close family members. But my greatest fear is losing somebody very close.” Caption: Ana, with her father-in-law Jose, at a food pantry in New York. Ana is a paraprofessional educator who hasn’t worked since March and her husband works as a clerk in a hospital, a job that has been especially stressful during the COVID-19 crisis. The food pantry at New Life Ministries, in Hempstead, New York, a partner of Long Island Cares Food Bank, has given them a measure of stability as Anna and her husband do their best to support

Arizona Food Bank Network

This grant is part of the Fall 2020 cycle. View a list of all Recent Grantees.