Letter from the Executive Director

Erik Arriola

Greetings from the Food Bank! I hope this new year is treating you well. I can hardly believe we are a quarter of the way through 2024!

We ended 2023 by serving a record breaking 42,014 individuals. I would like to give a tremendous Thank You to all our financial donors, organizations, churches, schools and volunteers who make what we do possible. Whether you give big or small, it takes everyone working together to serve 42,014 individuals.

So far this year you may have seen us around---we've been busy with: Stand Up AJ Health & Wellness Walk, Point in Time - Homeless Count for the City of AJ, attended fundraisers, built a float for the Lost Dutchman Days Parade, worked our booth and the 50/50 raffle at Lost Dutchman Days, hosted our Annual Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon, Easter Meal Box distribution, presented to Superstition Mountain Rotary Club then to Apache Junction Health and Human Services Committee, worked the Arizona Renaissance Festival, and continued our daily receiving, sorting and distributing of food here at the Food Bank!

I have a few favors to ask of you!

1. Please share with anyone you know that the Superstition Community Food Bank is a Qualifying Charitable Organizations. For the past two decades, residents of Arizona have been empowered to direct funds to their favorite qualifying nonprofit and reduce their taxes owed dollar-for- dollar or increase their refunds. Arizona is one of only a few states that lets the resident taxpayer decide which local problem such as hunger and other human needs they wish to help solve. When you file your state taxes, complete AZ Form 321. Single-filers can donate up to $421 and joint filers can contribute up to $841. You can donate at superstitionfoodbank.org online for your receipt or choose Apache Junction Reach Out, Inc. dba Superstition Community Food Bank on the Arizona Department of Revenue site when you file. Please note: Arizona law allows QCO donations made during 2023 or donations made from January 1, 2024 through April 15, 2024 to be claimed on the 2023 Arizona income tax return.
2. The Annual "Stamp Out Hunger" Postal Food Drive is on Saturday, May 11, 2024! Please help us spread the word. We would love to beat last years number of 28,000 lbs. of food donated. If you would like to volunteer, please let us know as we need many hands that day!
3. Do you have time to serve on our Board of Directors? We need several people to step up to help guide the Food Bank into the future. If you have a passion for what we do and time to dedicate and helping around, we would love to have a conversation with you about joining our Board of Directors.

Once again, thank you to everyone that continues to support the Food Bank and our mission to help those facing food insecurity.

With gratitude,

Erik Arriola

Executive Director

2023 Food Bank Statistics

• 42,014 total Individuals Served
• 203 Individuals Served Daily

• 13,096 Individuals Served 0-18 Years- (33% of total food distributed)
• 10,566 Individuals Served 60+ Years- (21% of total food distribution)
• 54% of Food Distributed goes to children & seniors.

• 15,340 total Families Served
• 789 Veteran Status served
• 1,167 on Disability/Mental Illness

• 1,147,523 lbs. of Food Distributed
• 973,647 Meals

• 21,000+ Volunteer Hours Worked
• 936 Holiday Meal Boxes Distributed (Easter, 4th of July, Thanksgiving & Christmas!)



Student BackPack Food Program launched to help AJ students!

Backpack food programs offer students free groceries for over the weekends. Food backpacks include healthy, easy-to-prepare food for kid-friendly meals.

The Superstition Community Food Bank has partnered with Apache Junction Unified School District to help identify students in need and to distribute backpacks to students.

Currently, we are piloting the backpack program at one elementary school and the junior high school in the Apache Junction Unified School District.

What comes in the backpacks?

Every BackPack Program is unique. Most backpacks include enough food to make a few healthy meals while the student is home over the weekend. That way, kids return to school on Monday, ready to learn.

Backpacks may include:

• Breakfast items like cereal, oatmeal, or granola bars
• Easy to prepare meals like mac and cheese, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, Ramen or canned soups
• Bread
• Milk or juice
• Fresh or canned fruit
• Fresh or canned vegetables
• Snacks

How often can students receive a food backpack?

Depending on enrollment, we will distribute backpacks at least once a month. Most programs give out backpacks every week on Fridays or the day before a school break.

Programs usually take a break during summer.

How can you help?

There are many ways you can help your local BackPack Program.

Volunteer. Volunteers pack backpacks, set up distributions, and help deliver filled backpacks to the schools.



Donate. We had one very generous donor give funds to kick-off this program. We will need annual funding to maintain and expand this program district wide.

You can donate to the Superstition Community Food Bank directly at: SuperstitionFoodBank.org

2024 MONTHLY FOOD DRIVES

• APRIL - "Bye, Bye SNOW Birdies"

Donate what's left in your cupboards and pantry before you leave for the summer!

• MAY - Cinco de Mayo

Any "Mexican" food Items!

• JUNE - Shark Month

Canned Tuna Fish Drive!

• JULY - We Want Your Water!

Pallets, cases & bottled water!

• AUGUST - Back to School

Peanut Butter & Jelly Drive

Want to host a Food Drive? Click here Superstitionfoodbank.org

Letter from our Board President

Lynn Hanson

Friendship

How many of you can say you have friends from 1^st grade that you remain in contact with? For me, that means over 65 years of casual contact with that person. We stay in contact, giggle over silly things we did over the years, talk about our families, and catch up on how everyone is doing. Those school friends from grade school---to high school usually end up in that "casual" friend category. Then it's off to college and a whole new batch of friends are made. Some you will remain in contact with, others will move on. Oh boy, now it's time to get married, have families and gather a whole new batch of friends. People you socialize with as a family, those you hang around from work, church or living in the same neighborhood. 

But are they the friends you turn to when you need help, when you need to talk about serious topics? Friends that you can take trips or vacations with and remain friends. Good friends are hard to find - friends for sharing secrets, laughing, crying together or just enjoying each other’s company. 

Hard to find those people in your life? 

Well, I can say I have found some of my close friends to rely on but for a variety of reasons and in a variety of places. I have true friends that live thousands of miles away that can rely on me and vice versa. I have also found new friends in my neighborhood that welcomed me with open arms and were willing to include me in their daily lives. It became not so lonely in a new community. 

One place that I have found a whole new batch of friends is at the Food Bank....you would be surprised what friends volunteering can bring to your life and in my case, save your life. That is what I gained from finding true friends here at the Food Bank- three of them literally saved my life by calling the ambulance while unbeknownst to me, I was having a health scare. How do I say thank you in the greatest way possible. Friends that care about you, tell you “Don’t leave me" and mean it, friends that show up at the hospital to check on you, encourage you and just be there with you. Friends should be treated as special as possible and treated like gold. 

Go out and tell your true friends how much they mean to you, stay in touch with them, truly listen to them. 

We all need friends in our lives - whether you have known them for a very long time or for just a few years. Thank them for being a friend.

Tortellini with Asparagus & Lemon

Prep/Total Time: 30 min.

Makes 4 servings



Ingredients

• 2 packages (9 ounces each) refrigerated cheese tortellini
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cups cut fresh asparagus (2-inch pieces)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 2 teaspoons chopped chives
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Cook tortellini according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat butter and oil over medium-high heat. Add asparagus; cook and stir 3-4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add garlic and pepper; cook 1 minute longer.Remove from heat; stir in herbs, lemon zest and lemon juice. Drain tortellini; transfer to a large bowl. Stir in cheeses and asparagus mixture.

Nutrition Facts

1-1/4 cups: 594 calories, 28g fat (15g saturated fat), 94mg cholesterol, 843mg sodium, 64g carbohydrate (5g sugars, 5g fiber), 24g protein.

Have some free time during the work week?

Need to get out of the house?

Passionate about the Food Bank mission?

We would love to have your help here at the Food Bank!!

Click here to VOLUNTEER!