Established in 1984, the Association of Arizona Food Banks is a private, non-profit organization serving its five-member regional food bank warehouses (Community Food Bank, Desert Mission Food Bank, St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance, United Food Bank, Yuma Community Food Bank) and a network of nearly 1,700 food pantries and agencies.  The AAFB mission helps bring a more efficient, coordinated approach to the enormous task of providing food to the growing number of Arizona's hungry citizens.  As one of the first state food bank associations in the nation, AAFB was instrumental in the development of a statewide gleaning project, and our advocacy efforts have brought about beneficial state and federal legislation for our member food banks and the people they serve.  AAFB has been recognized nationally by Feeding America, The Nation's Food Bank Network and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  

Mission:
To deliver food and quality services to food banks and foster relationships in support of our commitment to eliminate hunger.

We will achieve this through: Coordinating collection, procurement, and distribution of food; developing financial support, relationships and resources; advocating for food security through public policy;providing coordination during times of disaster; serving as a source of information and expertise to increase awareness of hunger issues; and investigating new initiatives to preserve and expand food resources to strengthen Arizona communities.

The Arizona Statewide Gleaning Project:
Since 1980 food banks have individually been participating in "gleaning"  - the rescuing and distribution of food that would otherwise go to waste.  The Arizona Statewide Gleaning Project was established in 1993 when food banks joined forces to create a coordinated effort throughout the State.  Through the collaborative efforts of these programs the Project has now rescued, transported and distributed more than 722 million pounds of food.

The success of the Project is directly related to the collaboration and cooperation of a multitude of dedicated partners - beginning with State Department of Agriculture Inspectors identifying potential donors of surplus product, to State and County inmates providing free labor to harvest the product, to the food banks working together to distribute massive quantities of food to hungry Arizonans.

Toll-Free Food Bank Locator: 1.800.445.1914
AAFB operates a statewide "800" number for individuals needing to locate a food bank for emergency or continuing services, the only toll-free number of its kind in Maricopa County. 

Food Provider Directory:
AAFB maintains and distributes the Arizona Emergency Food Provider Directory. This directory gives caseworkers a handy reference of what food programs are available to their clients and where they are located.

Public Policy & Advocacy:
AAFB spearheads advocacy efforts in Arizona and nationwide in collaboration with other organizations whose interests and concerns align themselves with our mission. Our efforts have resulted in the passage of: the Charity Food Bank Act (1986), the Charitable Crop Contribution Bill (1993), the Food Bank Governmental Incentive Bill (1996), and the Joint Legislative Committee on Hunger Bill (2003).

We encourage you to get involved!  Get all the latest news and updates today!

Everything you could ever want to know about AAFB.

Facts about hunger and poverty in Arizona.