Food drive Nov. 12: How you can help Tucson food bank for Thanksgiving

To help meet that growing need, the food bank is hosting a Holiday Harvest Food and Fund Drive on Thursday, Nov. 12, with a goal of collecting 8,000 pounds of food and $40,000 in monetary donations.

The drive comes as the food bank is feeling the effects of changes to federal nutrition benefits.

Less SNAP, more need

The food bank has seen an approximately 18% increase in people seeking assistance compared with the same period last year, said Norma Cable, the organization’s director of communications.

Cable attributes some of the increase to rising food and gas prices, along with reductions in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, commonly known as SNAP.

Changes to SNAP eligibility and work requirements are affecting access to food assistance across Arizona, she said.

“We’re about to enter our busiest time of year, and we are feeling the impact of the SNAP cuts,” she said. “We rely on community support to help us meet the need.”

The organization expects to serve approximately 1,000 people on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, traditionally its busiest distribution day of the year.

Federal legislation enacted in 2025 expanded work requirements for certain SNAP recipients and eliminated exemptions previously available to veterans, people experiencing homelessness and young adults aging out of foster care, said Joseph Palomino, director of the Arizona Center for Economic Progress.

SNAP enrollment among children in Pima County declined 45% between July 2025 and September 2026, according to data analyzed by Palomino’s organization.

Statewide, enrollment among children declined approximately 45% during the same period, he said.

The decline has been relatively consistent across Arizona counties, Palomino said, suggesting the effects are not limited to Tucson.

For families losing SNAP benefits, the consequences can extend beyond their grocery budgets.

“We also know that it also frees up resources they have for housing, for healthcare, for gas,” Palomino said, explaining how SNAP benefits allow families to direct other income toward basic necessities.

“People were barely getting by with SNAP benefits,” he said. “Without these SNAP benefits, they are making incredibly difficult decisions.”

The Community Food Bank is experiencing some of that pressure firsthand.

The organization has two staff members dedicated to helping residents navigate SNAP applications and benefit-related questions, Cable said.

The food bank experienced a significant increase in requests for SNAP assistance beginning in October 2025, she said.

“It’s important to note that a monthly visit to the food bank cannot replace a monthly SNAP benefit which allows families to shop at a grocery store and choose the items that meet their dietary needs,” she said.

Donations needed during busiest season

Meanwhile, monetary donations to the food bank are currently lower than they were at this point last year, Cable said. Rising food and fuel costs have also increased the organization’s expenses, including the cost of transporting food throughout Southern Arizona.

“Rising food prices affect our own purchases, although the Food Bank does have strong purchasing power to buy in bulk,” she said.

To prepare for Thanksgiving, the organization plans to bring in employees from other departments, additional volunteers and parking lot personnel to help accommodate increased traffic and distribute food efficiently.

The food bank is hoping its Holiday Harvest Food and Fund Drive will help meet the growing need.

The Holiday Harvest Food and Fund Drive will run from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday at the Bashas’ at 2000 W. River Road. It is supported by Lotus Radio and Tucson Electric Power, which will match up to $20,000 in donations.

Community members can support the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona by donating nonperishable food items or making monetary contributions.

This year, the goal is to outpace previous events in both food and funds.

The goal is to collect 8,000 pounds of food and $40,000 in monetary donations, while last year’s event collected 6,842 pounds of food and $36,000, Cable said.

As more families face challenges accessing food assistance, Palomino said he expects reliance on community food banks to continue increasing.

“We continue to rely on the community for support. This is big work, and we cannot do it alone,” Cable added.

“Access to healthy food is a human right,” she said. “Our doors are open to anyone in need of food, and it’s important for all of us to realize that a medical emergency or unexpected life event could put many of us into a situation where buying food is a challenge. That’s why we’re here.”