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Casa Maria provides help for the hungry in Tucson

Brian Flagg giving out food
Posted at 10:18 AM, May 27, 2021
and last updated 2021-05-27 18:49:21-04

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — "There you go bro," Brian Flagg said as he handed a bag of food to one of the many people he sees every day.

Brian works with Casa Maria, a soup kitchen that has been helping people in our community for years. Brian knows just about everyone by name who stops by.

"I'm the guy that's been here forever you know," Brian said. He explained that he had been working there since he moved to Tucson back in 1983.

He likes the relationships he gets to form with the community.

"You find out what needs to change and hopefully you can jump in and be an agent of change," Brian said.

That's what brings Brian to the front door of Casa Maria just about every single day of the year. The people also expect Brian to be there.

"I can't walk away from this door without having someone appear within a few seconds," Brian said as more people lined up to get food.

The kitchen serves hundreds of people and families every day. The only days they are closed are Thanksgiving and Christmas.

While Brian is there every day, he can't do it all on his own. Casa Maria relies on community members to volunteer to help pack bags with food and make the soup each day. They also rely on donations of food and money to keep their doors open and stocked with food to give away.

If you are interested in helping out, click here to learn more.