Rallying against hunger in Arizona

Jackie Shelley

Submitted photo/Paz de Cristo

In 2024 in Maricopa County, 617,180 people, 195,550 of them children, were reported to be experiencing food insecurity. That is up from 595,200 people in 2023.”

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OPINION — September is a time when food banks and meal programs across the country shine a spotlight on a problem that never takes a month off.

Food insecurity in America has reached its highest level in more than a decade, affecting more than 47 million people, including 14 million children. As Feeding America CEO Claire Babineaux-Fontenot has said, “People across the country have demonstrated immense care for communities.”

The Valley is no exception to this ongoing need.

In 2024 in Maricopa County, 617,180 people, 195,550 of them children, were reported to be experiencing food insecurity. That is up from 595,200 people in 2023. 

To narrow that down, 119,540 of those people are in Congressional District 4, which includes Mesa and surrounding East Valley cities, compared to 115,020 the prior year.

Every September, organizations across the Valley and the country raise awareness about hunger. Among them is Paz de Cristo in Mesa, which serves free, made-from-scratch evening meals seven nights a week, 365 days a year.

The people who sit down at these tables are the same people who may have been there in July, December or March. They are families facing financial hardship, individuals experiencing homelessness and neighbors navigating difficult circumstances. Anyone who arrives hungry leaves fed. 

Compassion shows up daily through volunteers who serve with dignity, donors who make this work possible and staff members who know many of the guests by name.

The mission is simple: More than a meal, it is feeding, clothing and empowering our neighbors in need. Together, we do more than provide basic necessities. We create a place where people feel seen, welcomed and cared for.

We are equally grateful for a community that transforms awareness into action, not just during Hunger Action Month, but every single day of the year.

That spirit of care is exactly what we witness every day in our kitchen and food bank in Mesa.

If you have been part of that effort, thank you. If you are considering getting involved, there is always a place at the table.  

Jackie Shelley is executive director of Paz de Cristo Community Center in Mesa, a nonprofit that has been serving East Valley families since 1988. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.