'Seeing an increase in need,' Comm. Food Bank of Southern AZ prepares for Thanksgiving distributions

TUCSON, Ariz. - (KGUN) — As the number on grocery price tags grows, local food banks also take on greater spending for families needing affordable meal options.

Leaders at the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona (CFBSA) said, despite a dip from pandemic demand giving them a small measure of rest, recent inflation hasn't spared their supplies.

Up to this point in the year, bank leaders say they've seen a 20% increase in the number of people coming to pantries and resource centers for help.

This week, volunteers and employees started their work early in the morning to prepare for the holiday rush that often comes on Thanksgiving Week.

"We'll serve 1000s of people over the course of the next week," Malea Chavez shared, "And we've been just doing a lot of preparation."

This level of planning and stocking makes sense if you follow Chavez, the organization's new chief executive officer, on her checks of all the centers the CFBSA operates.

"That's not just here in Tucson," she explained. "Going to Willcox, in visiting our facilities in Nogales, in Marana, everybody is seeing an increase in need."

In its fiscal budget year ending this past June, the CFBSA said it had distributed more than 62 million pounds of food to roughly 316,000 people. Chavez, as well as the food bank's board and leadership teams, will have to manage finances as families across the region are also doing.

She pointed out, however, increasing costs will not change the organization's commitment to give families healthier meals.

"We have made a huge effort to try to bring more fresh fruits and vegetables to people by both working with local sourcing, with local farmers," Chavez said. "Also, in balancing some of the staples — very highly requested items, of course: proteins like tuna, peanut butter, rice and beans."

A recent report from the American Farm Bureau broke down the average cost for a typical thanksgiving dinner.

U.S. consumers will likely have to spend almost $11 dollars more this year than in 2021; the $64+ total this year, would amount to a serving costing under $6.50 per person for a meal feeding ten.

Looking at the impact on specific items that make up that feast: the price of turkey is up 21% from 2021, while stuffing's price has jumped 69% from last year to now.

On a personal level, Chavez said she wants to give back to both a cause she's championed in her career and a community she calls home. The best way to do that, she said, is by making sure the bank and all its partners work together to keep shelves stocked and mouths fed.

"That's something that we're really focused on and that has become a big priority of mine," she said. "Just to make sure we have enough for everyone, understanding how expensive and how hard it is to cover that."

The food bank's main office, the Gabrielle Giffords Resource Center, will open its pantry with extended hours on Thanksgiving Week. Chavez said this center will open at 8 a.m. and close at 2:30 p.m. both Tuesday and Wednesday, Nov. 23.

Bank leaders said guests will have a selection of goods to choose from, including fresh produce and traditional side dishes that complement the Thanksgiving feast.

You can visit the CFBSA website for pantry hours to all its locations.