Since kicking off last fall, NOAH’s “Fresh for You” food distribution program has grown significantly. We’re grateful for our ongoing partnerships with Farmbox Arizona and St. Mary’s Food Bank which have provided fresh food for our food insecure patients and community members on a routine basis over the past year and a half.
A new partnership with Waste Not kicked off in late November and has afforded us the opportunity to more than double our food distribution with weekly deliveries of over 250 pounds of food. Waste Not, based in Scottsdale, procures mostly ready-made foods from grocers, hotel banquet facilities, schools, and caterers. Offerings range from QT sandwiches and fresh produce to Trader Joe’s pre-packaged salads and boxed lunches from nearby hotels.
Waste Not delivers to Cholla Health Center on Fridays, a perfect opportunity for us to get food out to patients and community members ahead of the weekend. In an effort to distribute food as quickly as possible, we are working to implement text and email notifications and even RSVP capability for food recipients.
It’s also imperative that we get food sorted and packaged in a timely manner. Friends of NOAH volunteers are being recruited on a regular basis and can sign-up to help with any food deliveries through Sign-up Genius. NOAH employees often inquire about volunteering and are welcome to participate with supervisor approval and/or during non-working hours.
NOAH employees in need of food should reach out to Community Resources at crmanagement@noahhelps.org for assistance.
