Flagstaff Family Food Center and Northern Arizona Food Bank, two non-profit agencies, have merged and will now operate under one umbrella and one name. The new agency, called Flagstaff Family Food Center: Food Bank and Kitchen (FFFC-FB&K), will continue to serve hot meals, facilitate the preparation of bag lunches and maintain a children’s reading program.
The new non-profit agency will also take over two key services previously provided either by St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance or by St. Mary’s in cooperation with Northern Arizona Food Bank. FFFC-FB&K will now handle the distribution of emergency food boxes and provide the food shopping services utilized by multiple non-profit agencies. The merger became necessary when St. Mary’s closed its local food bank and centralized operations in Phoenix. After careful analysis, it became clear that no single Flagstaff agency could meet this challenge alone. To help end hunger in the Flagstaff area, Flagstaff Family Food Center and Northern Arizona Food Bank chose to join forces. The collaboration between these two leading organizations will result in a powerful community hub, working as a unit to streamline services for local food needs and maximize efficiencies of donations and volunteers.
The need for these services is urgent. The U.S. Census has determined that Flagstaff grew at the seventh fastest rate in Arizona in 2012. Of the 67,468 Flagstaff residents, 21.1 percent live below the poverty level. Based on past projections, demand for nutrition is expected to continue to increase.
Flagstaff Family Food Center: Food Bank and Kitchen is committed to providing the necessary hunger relief though daily hot meal services, sack lunches and food box distribution.
While this consolidation of operations will lay the groundwork for meeting current and future food needs, the volunteers, groceries and financial resources have always come from the caring people of Flagstaff. The newly formed non-profit needs volunteers and donors more than ever during the transition to a new and more efficient model of emergency food sharing.
The dining room is open daily from 4 p.m. until 5:30 p.m., serving a hot, nutritious meal with dignity and respect. The reading room continues to inspire a love of reading; sack lunches are still available all day, and food boxes are distributed to families and individuals that qualify for assistance. Volunteer time and/or donations are greatly appreciated. FBN
Flagstaff Family Food Center is located on the corner of 2nd Street and 2nd Avenue. For more information, call 928-774-3188 or online at www.hotfood.org.