At the end of every shift, when the donation doors close at noon daily at Hope For Hunger Food Bank in Glendale, Mission Sharing Coordinator Gary Rowlett looks around the empty space and already thinks about tomorrow.
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At the end of every shift, when the donation doors close at noon daily at Hope For Hunger Food Bank in Glendale, Mission Sharing Coordinator Gary Rowlett looks around the empty space and already thinks about tomorrow.
The West Valley food bank, located at 5605 N. 55th Ave., is open to guests and families in need of assistance starting at 8 a.m. everyday. And demand is up more than double from a year ago.
So much so that the Hope For Hunger staff had to turn away almost 20 guests on Thursday when inventory ran out.
“The biggest challenge we have right now is making sure that we can build baskets that are meaningful to the guests and families that come in here,” Rowlett said. “The second biggest problem is, to do that, having enough food.”
Hope For Hunger is averaging about 225 guests in need each day.
“The month of May was about 135% greater than a year ago,” Rowlett added.
Some 90% of Hope For Hunger’s food comes from St. Mary’s Food Bank, of Phoenix, which delivers five morning shipments and two afternoon shipments to the Glendale site every week.
“Inflation and higher costs for everything from milk to vegetables, on top of higher gas and rent prices, comes at the same time that pandemic assistance is expiring — and it’s created something of a perfect storm in terms of need,” St. Mary’s Food Bank posted on its website in May.
Hope For Hunger also has a new partner in Midwest Food Bank, of Gilbert. Glendale representatives go there every other week to collect nonperishables and meat. Inventory also comes through private donations.
Rowlett says that the biggest need at Hope For Hunger, in addition to perishable and nonperishable goods, are monetary donations.
“The same problems you’re facing in a grocery store, not only pricing but supply, is the same problem we face but probably more so,” he noted.
Residents may deliver donations on site during open hours, from 8 a.m. to noon, Monday through Friday. Click here for information and also to volunteer.
Click here to make a monetary donation to support the ongoing work taking place at Hope for Hunger
Steve Stockmar has been with the Independent Newsmedia team since 2017. An NAU alum and Peoria resident, Steve’s community journalism pursuits focus mostly on arts & culture, education, and profiles of neighbors making a difference. In his spare time Steve plays in a vintage baseball league using uniforms and rules from the 1860s, and also acts (badly) in community theater. In addition, he has an unhealthy obsession with baseball and the Chicago Cubs.
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