Community Food Bank Garden Programs

FALL 2009 SPECIALTY WORKSHOPS

**Advance registration is required:  Call to sign up!- 622-0525, x263**
All workshops are free.  Donations are accepted.

Click to Printable Flyer- in English and Spanish

Contact Melissa Mundt at the Community Food Bank :

mmundt@communityfoodbank.com, 622-0525, x263

All workshops take place in “Nuestra Tierra,” the Community Food Bank’s garden unless otherwise stated (3003 S. Country Club) (View Marana Farm Workshops)

September 13th, Macy’s will launch “Come Together,” an innovative community-centered campaign, to raise 10 million meals for Feeding America and its network of food banks.

The campaign rallies the public to host special dinner parties in their homes and ask their guests to pledge a donation to Feeding America in lieu of bringing a host gift. Macy’s will match donations dollar for dollar until the goal of 10 million meals is reached.

There are three ways to give.

HOST: Macy’s customers can host a dinner party and donate the money raised online on the Come Together website at www.macys.com/cometogether.  This website serves as a one-stop party planning destination featuring recipes, dinner party fashions, evites, themes, recommended playlists and other special content to create the perfect gathering.

GIVE: Customers can also give $1 at the register at all Macy’s stores.  Every $1 donated equals 7 meals.

SHOP: Customers can also Shop for a Cause on October 17 in Macy’s stores and on www.macys.com.

To support the effort, Macy’s will launch an awareness campaign that includes a new star-studded TV commercial, dinner parties hosted by world-renowned chefs from Macy’s Culinary Council at select stores, fashion nights and more.  To celebrate and kick-off this important effort, Macy’s will host the “World’s Largest Dinner Party” with a first course served at all Macy’s stores on Tuesday, September 15 at 6 p.m. local time.

To learn about Come Together events in your area click here.

To make a donation to Feeding America that will be matched by Macy’s click here.

FastPark & Relax is an offsite airport parking facility for the Tucson International Airport. We are running our annual canned food drive from 9/14/09 to 10/11/09 at our FastPark & Relax facility just off South Tucson Blvd.

• 6970 S Tucson Blvd

At the end of our food drive FastPark will be matching the donation; for each pound of food donated FastPark will donate $1 to the Community Food Bank of Tucson. Visit our website www.fastparkandrelax.com for more information!

Along with the canned food drive FastPark & Relax is also hosting a Virtual Food Drive, Click below to donate.

The Community Food Bank in partnership with the City of Tucson requests your assistance to beautify and green the Santa Cruz River Farmers’ Market site (near the Santa Cruz River, at the corner of Riverview and Speedway). Through a series of participatory hands-on workshops, rainwater harvesting earthworks will be created to capture and utilize rainwater on-site to promote native vegetation. Community benefits from these water harvesting workshops will include shading the market during the hot summer afternoons, promoting urban wildlife habitat, reducing off-site stormwater flows, beautifying the bare lot, and building community connections. Watershed Management Group (WMG), a Tucson-based non-profit, will provide the workshop instruction. Two workshops have been scheduled:

• Saturday, November 7th from 8-12pm
• Sunday, November 8th from 1-5pm

These workshops are free and open to the public. Participants are asked to wear appropriate clothing and sun protection for working outdoors. Drinks and snacks will be provided to all volunteers. Please RSVP to attend the workshops with Catlow Shipek by email: catlow@watershedmg.org or by phone: 396-3266. Please direct any questions regarding the Santa Cruz Farmers’ Market to Sara Rickard at 622-0525 x 242 or srickard@communityfoodbank.com.

Market shopping hours: 3-6 p.m.
Free bike maintenance: 4-6 p.m.

Start biking this fall!  El Grupo Youth Cycling Club will offer FREE bike tune-ups, tire changing demos, and bike maps at the Santa Cruz River Farmers’ Market.  For more information, call Sara at (520) 622-0525 x 242 or email at srickard@communityfoodbank.com.

NEW FALL HOURS: 3-6 p.m.
Come hear Vermont based, nationally touring singer-songwriters Coco Kallis and Lafe Dutton, who will perform three hours of original and traditional music at the SCRFM.  Coco and Lafe have been performing at farmer’s markets on both coasts, and now are touring markets nationally to encourage people to buy local and interact with their food growers.  For more information, call Sara at (520) 622-0525 x 242 or email at srickard@communityfoodbank.com.

Who:  Everyone welcome!

What:  Santa Cruz River Farmers’ Market Fall Garden Fest

Where:  NE corner of Speedway and Riverview, west of I-10 between Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind and El Rio Neighborhood Center

Admission:  Free and open to the public

The Santa Cruz River Farmers’ Market Fall Garden Fest will help community members get their cool weather gardens started.  The Market will feature the annual fall seed exchange; garden supplies such as seedlings, bird netting and floating row cover will be for sale; and information on seed saving and other tips for desert gardeners will be available.

Late September in Southern Arizona is the perfect time to start planting cool weather crops including lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, carrots, and radishes, and many others.

Local produce selections at the Farmers’ Market include a late season harvest of hot-weather crops, including summer and winter squash, okra, eggplants, onions, potatoes, garlic, basil, melons, apples and much more.  Shoppers can also find free-range beef, honey, dried beans and grains, eggs, herbal remedies, locally roasted coffee, garden plants and cacti.

The Farmers’ Market accepts credit and debit cards, food stamps, cash, and Arizona Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program vouchers for WIC participants and income qualifying seniors.

For more information, contact Sara Rickard at (520) 622-0525 x 242.

Tyson Foods, Inc. and the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) will join forces on Monday, September 21, 2009 to donate over 30,000 pounds of chicken to the Community Food Bank.  The chicken will be delivered to the food bank, 3003 S. Country Club Road, at 9:00 AM.

On hand to accept the donation and help unload the Tyson Chicken will be Bill Carnegie, President/CEO of the Community Food Bank and Richard Fimbres, LULAC Immediate Past National Vice President for the Elderly and member of LULAC Council 1057.  It was with Mr. Fimbres’s and LULAC’s help that this donation was made possible.

Last year, the Community Food Bank distributed over 22 million pounds of food in Southern Arizona, enough for over 48,000 meals daily.  That is a 38% increase over the previous year.  “The current economic downturn in Southern Arizona has impacted those who least can afford it,” said Bill Carnegie.  “This generous donation from Tyson Foods will help feed thousands of hungry families in Southern Arizona.”

Tyson Foods has donated more than 50 million pounds of product to hunger and disaster relief efforts since 2000.

LULAC is the oldest and largest civil rights organization in the United States.  The group advances the economic condition, educational attainment, political influence, health and civil rights of Hispanic Americans through community based programs operating at more than 700 LULAC councils nationwide.

Interviews and photo opportunities will be available at the Community Food Bank on September 21st.

For more information, contact Jack Parris at (520) 622-0525 x 215.

JW Marriott Starr Pass to hold holiday gala benefiting Community Food Bank

Tucson shines all year long, but it shines the brightest at JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa every holiday season. With so many festive offerings during December, Starr Pass is adding another event to its holiday lineup this year – the Winter Wonder Ball, on Saturday, December 5, from 6 to 11 p.m. The Winter Wonder Ball will have a dual impact on the Tucson community – it will offer local businesses a place to celebrate without the expense of private holiday parties and give the Tucson Community Food Bank a much-needed boost during the holidays.

In addition to Santa, snow, and songs, the Winter Wonder Ball will give local businesses and organizations a chance to celebrate the holidays in grand style and reward their employees for their dedication and hard work in a resort-style environment. Tables for 10 will be offered at an affordable price, and will include all of the necessities for a truly enchanted evening.

Perhaps the most beautiful part of the Winter Wonder Ball is how it gives back to the community. Each Winter Wonder Ball guest is asked to bring non-perishable food items to the gala. At the end of the evening, the food will be donated to the Tucson Community Food Bank. As guests place their items in the donation bin at the door, they will receive a drink ticket. The more food items the guest brings, the more drink tickets they can earn. With so many needy families in Tucson, there is no better way to help the needy than providing them with a delicious meal to enjoy over the holidays.

The Winter Wonder Ball will feature a gourmet holiday buffet created by the resort’s award-winning culinary team, live entertainment throughout the evening, dancing and more! The Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce will join JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa in hosting this magical event.

The cost for the Winter Wonder Ball is $750 for a table of 10 and resort rooms will be available to all attendees at a rate of $99 for the night.

For sponsorship information, to book your table, or for more information, please contact Nancy Moran 791-6083.

For more information about JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa, please visit www.jwmarriottstarrpass.com.

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Members of the Salpointe Football Team cheer with Tim Bee, Governor Brewer’s Southern Arizona presence, who was touring the food bank that day.  The boys sorted food on two occasions over the summer, part of their “Games for the Greater Good” program, which included helping five local organizations.