Thousands of Arizonans are losing SNAP benefits, and one South Phoenix food bank is feeling it first. Demand at St. Vincent de Paul’s main campus near 5th Avenue and Watkins Street, off Interstate 17, has nearly doubled.
Nonprofit in South Phoenix faces double demand amid SNAP benefit loss
Families are stretching every dollar they have left, and this non-profit organization is putting more meals on more tables, one drive-thru box at a time. This South Phoenix distribution center runs its food box distribution the second and fourth Saturday of every month starting at 6:30 a.m.
“Some people have told us that they’re here in the line about as early as four in the morning because they want to make sure that they have a food box to take home,” said Andrea Ariza, Public Relations Manager for St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP), to ABC15’s Nicole Gutierrez.
“Before, over 450,000 Arizonans lost benefits to SNAP; we were helping about 102 families during our distributions. Right now, on average, we’re serving about 229 families during our distributions monthly,” Ariza told ABC15.
Volunteers pack each box with meat, produce, and pantry staples, trying to make the drive-thru feel less like a handout and more like a trip to the grocery store.
“It’s just like if you go into the grocery store and buy groceries, you’re getting everything that you would buy. You’re getting something of everything. So that way, we’re hoping to get stretch them throughout the week till they come back,” said Felicia Townsend, a SVdP volunteer…