Twice a month, SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary members assist the Tri-Community Food Bank in Mammoth by unloading pallets of food from the United Food Bank in Mesa.
Rosemary Douglas
We are sometimes asked where the Tri-Community Food Bank (TCFB) gets the food that we distribute to our customers. The answer is that we get food from a variety of sources. In the past, donations from food drives have been one source of supply. Recently, however, food donations have been minimal due to COVID concerns.
The TCFB is a member of the United Food Bank, headquartered in Mesa, Ariz. The United Food Bank is a charity that receives food from the government through the Arizona Department of Economic Security in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The TCFB receives food donations twice a month from the United Food Bank.
On the first Wednesday of the month, the United Food Bank delivers canned goods, frozen meats and other proteins, and Emergency Food Bags containing non-perishable items to the TCFB. On the third Thursday of each month, fresh produce is delivered from the United Food Bank.
The TCFB also purchases about $10,000 to $12,000 worth of food each month from Bashas’ to supplement the items received from the United Food Bank. During the holiday season, the TCFB purchases turkeys and pies for Thanksgiving and hams for Christmas from Bashas’. These purchases, which contribute to feeding almost 300 people (900 individuals) monthly, are only made possible through the generosity of our donors.
The TCFB is open five days per week (Monday through Thursday and Saturday) from 9 a.m. to noon. Each morning that we are open, our volunteer van drivers pick up donations from Bashas’ of perishables such as bread, cakes, and other desserts, and occasionally dairy products. Our customers greatly appreciate these additions to their emergency food boxes.
The Tri-Community Food Bank is an IRS 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation and an Arizona Qualifying Charitable Organization. Our mailing address is P.O. Box 38, Mammoth, AZ 85618. The food bank is an all-volunteer organization.