The new Food Bank warehouse system includes two sections of 4-Deep “Pushback” and one section of 2-Deep “Pushback” units.  In a space where previously 273 pallets could be stored, the new “Pushback” system will store 856 pallets (43 truckloads of additional storage), a 313% increase.

The “Pushback” system was purchased from Advance Storage Products of Huntington Beach, California.

“Recently our warehouse capacity has been maxed out and we have had to rent space from other facilities.  But the increased capacity of the “Pushback” system should take care of our storage needs for years to come,” said Eric Hitzeman, Vice President of Operations.

The Community Food Bank distributed over 29 million pounds of food in fiscal year 2009-2010.

For further information, contact Eric Hitzeman at (520) 622-0525 x 238

The Community Food Bank has announced that its Value Market Grocery Store will close on Friday, October 1, 2010.

The Value Market, located at the Community Food Bank, 3003 S. Country Club Road, began operation in 1995 offering low cost groceries to patrons of Food Bank services.

“The economy and our inability to offer competitive pricing in the grocery market lead to the decision,” said Bill Carnegie, President/CEO.

Beginning August 1, 2010, the Value Market will begin reducing prices in order to close out current inventory.

The Value Market is open to the general public and anyone is welcome to shop while supplies last.

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

The $50,000 donation is from Fry’s “Bringing Hope to the Table” annual cause-marketing program partnership.  Since its inception the program has directed $20 million in funds and food to local food banks serving communities across the country.

Locally, Fry’s has been a long time supporter of the Community Food Bank donating plastic grocery bags for The Emergency Food Box Program (TEFAP).  Employees from Fry’s Food Stores volunteer at the Food Bank each month.  Since the inception of The Fry’s Perishable Food Donation Program in 2008, the Community Food Bank has received 747,231 pounds of food and since January 2004, Fry’s Holiday Food Drive has collected 23,144 pounds.  Additionally, Fry’s headquarters has donated 76,462 pounds of marketable products.  In June, 2010, Fry’s also donated almost 11,000 pounds of cereal to the Food Bank TEFAP program.

“Fry’s has been partnering with the Community Food Bank for three decades and this is one of the largest contributions we have received,” said Bill Carnegie, President/CEO.  “We are proud to be associated with a company that so generously demonstrates its sense of responsibility to the community.”

Photo and interview opportunities will be available following the check presentation.

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

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The Nogales Community Food Bank has received Santa Cruz County’s first commercial Hybrid diesel/electric truck.  The 2011 Peterbilt Hybrid has a twenty foot refrigerated box and will be used to pick up donations and distribute produce in the Nogales, Arizona area.

The new Hybrid truck should not only increase fuel efficiency by 30%  over other trucks, but is equipped with a Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system that can deliver near-zero emissions of NOx, an acid rain and smog-causing pollutant and greenhouse gas. The truck was purchased from the Rush Truck Center at 755 S. 44th Street in Tucson.

“We are pleased to have this new Peterbilt Hybrid truck to improve the efficiency of collection and distribution of donated food for our local families,” said Arthur Espinoza, Nogales Community Food Bank Executive Director.  “With this new Hybrid truck, we can improve our services and help protect the Southern Arizona environment.”

The Hybrid truck was purchased with a low interest loan from Feeding America and the Kresge Foundation.  Feeding America also provided $84,000 for operating expenses to go with the Hybrid.

For furthermore information, contact Arthur Espinoza at (520) 281-27090

Cricket Mission Plaza
4605 East Speedway Blvd.
Tucson, AZ 85712
520-746-6991

Cricket Centre Point
2002 E. Irvington Rd
Tucson, AZ 85714
520-746-6993

Cricket Wetmore
405 E. Wetmore Suite G-103
Tucson, AZ 85705
520-746-6992

Cricket Nogales
377 N. Grand Avenue
Nogales, AZ 85621
520-287-2029

Cricket’s Southern Arizona Diversity team is very excited about doing its part to help anyone in our community that could benefit from our local community food bank.  Our goal is to continue Crickets great practice of celebrating our companies diversity within our employees, customers and our community!  We have participated in a number of activities in 2010 including serving food at our local Ronald McDonald House to celebrating different cultures within our retail stores such as Cinco De Mayo and Martin Luther King Day.  Cricket has three locations in Tucson and one in Nogales and we will be collecting food for the entire month of July – Please help Cricket give back to our community!!!

Special Offer:
Waived $3 Payment fee at all 4 Corporate store locations for month of July with 3 or more cans of non-perishable foods delivered at time of payment.

Donations will benefit members of the Association of Arizona Food Banks, which collectively distributed more than 110 million pounds of food last year – enough to provide 235,445 meals every day through 1,600 sites.  People who wish to donate cash can send checks to the Association of Arizona Food Banks, 2100 N. Central Ave., Ste. 230, Phoenix, AZ 85004.  Donations also may be made online at http://www.azfoodbanks.org.

“All of us at Wells Fargo are excited to help with this food drive,” said Pam Conboy, regional president for Wells Fargo Regional Banking in Arizona.  “Last summer our team collected 58 tons of food, and this year we hope to provide even more.  The need is so great – more than 16 percent of Arizonans live in poverty, including more than 20 percent of children under the age of 18.  Our Arizona Wells Fargo team wants to help.”

According to the Association of Arizona Food Banks, local food shelves that are filled during holiday season collection drives in November and December are nearly depleted by summer.

“Today’s economic challenges have placed more pressure than ever on our members and their agencies,” said Ginny Hildebrand, President and CEO, Association of Arizona Food Banks.  “With rising unemployment, demand for food bank service is at record levels.  With this drive, Wells Fargo is helping our food banks at a time when the need is critical.”

About Wells Fargo

In Arizona, Wells Fargo has 14,000 team members and 261 stores.   Wells Fargo & Company is a diversified financial services company with $1.2 trillion in assets, providing banking, insurance, investments, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance through more than 10,000 stores and 12,000 ATMs and the Internet (wellsfargo.com and wachovia.com) across North America and internationally.

A Community Celebration With:

~A unique and delectable Local Foods Dinner, supplied by local growers, and prepared by Café 54.
~Art Performances, Displays, and Presentations on Food Systems and Food Justice by the Youth Farm Project’s Street Team members.

The Youth Farm Project‘s summer Street Team is a three week intensive program for youth ages 15-20.  It is an in depth investigation into sustainable agriculture, food systems, and food justice.  Street team members will be visiting many sites throughout Tucson and southern Arizona and using what they learn to create art that will entertain, enthrall, and educate our community. A delectable local foods dinner will be served in a community-style atmosphere in beautiful downtown Tucson. Dinner will be prepared by community chefs, using local ingredients which support and benefit our Arizona farmers.  The art performances and exhibitions are free and open to anyone interested in celebrating youth empowerment and food in our community.

This celebration of food and art is brought to you by the Youth Farm project, a program of the Community Food Resource Center, a department of the Community Food Bank.  Our much appreciated partners are Cafe 54, the Food Conspiracy Coop, and the Fourth Avenue Merchants Association.

Dinner = $25
Art = Free!

Tickets Available At:

Antigone Books.
411 N 4th Ave
Tucson, AZ 85705

Or

Call the Youth Farm Project
520-820-4513