St. Mary's Food Bank runs an amazing volunteer program! I coordinate events at St. Mary's for one of the largest employers in Arizona and the feedback that I get from volunteers is consistent - events are well ran, productive and everyone feels like they are contributing to something that makes a difference in the world. This has always been my experience as well. Great people doing great things for the community. I love St. Mary's Food Bank!!
this is the 2nd time I have had to use them and toss out the whole food box. due to moldy food. I ask to speak to someone and get nowhere. the food they give us is not from our community food is not even sold here. so when you drop off food donations or drop food in the donation box, guess what they send it out of our community. not here. they give us food we can't eat.... this is heartbreaking and now I see why so many people are getting sick...
where are your donations going? i have contacted the news stations since they so fast to praise this group. send them the past two boxes i got. why am i getting outdated and moldy food from out of state? where is the donations from Arizona going?????
i voleenter here with my daughter an we will stop doing so. this is bogus
Sonoran Science Academy of Peoria has a National Junior Honor Society (6-8th grade) that needs volunteer hours. They all love going to St. Mary's Food Bank in Surprise to fulfill some of those hours. The people in charge are always very welcoming and support the students with great information and answers to all of their questions. The time flies by when we are volunteering there and the kids say they wish they could stay longer. We will always volunteer at St. Mary's Food Bank in Surprise!!
Twice a year Copenhagen Imports Furniture Store supports St. Mary's Food bank in a campaign to fight hunger. April 2023 is one of those times. I had the opportunity to volunteer at the St. Mary's Food Bank Surprise location last week. It was fun and rewarding. St. Mary's does a phenomenal job helping individuals who are having a tough time making ends meet. It is a great nonprofit group to support.
St. Mary's is a great place to take youth groups to learn about the service of giving. We had a great time with the friendly and helpful staff at the Surprise location! They made it a fun experience for our students, some want to return again! Thank you for all you do for the community!
I HAD A HOME DELIVERY SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 28TH 2022 BETWEEN 6AM-6PM AND THE DRIVER NEVER SHOWED UP NOT ONE TIME, AND ON TOP OF THAT THE DRIVER LIED AND SAID HE DID COME AROUND 730AM, THESE DELIVERIES HAVE TO BE MADE TWO WEEKS IN ADVANCE SO YOU CAN IMAGINE HOW LONG ME AND MY CHILDREN HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR FOOD AND THE ONLY THING THEY WERE ABLE TO DO WAS RESCHEDULE ME AND WE WOULD HAVE TO WAIT ANOTHER TWO WEEKS I PRAY THAT ANOTHER FAMILY NEVER HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE ARE CHILDREN INVOLVED AND HUNGRY.
Yes I ordered through Saint Mary's food Bank so they would deliver food to me. I cannot drive. I'm pretty much homebound. I was made aware that the food would be delivered Tuesday the 24th of May no one showed up I was not notified that no one would show up last time I'd heard they were going to show up that day so I made sure that I was close to the door and went through great effort to make sure that I can get to the gate. It is now Thursday the 26th and I just got a text message for somebody saying they'd wait 3 minutes and then they were gone. Needless to say St Mary's food Bank did not did not I repeat did not help me in any way I was never notified that they had changed today from Tuesday to thursday. I guess if you're hungry you can add a couple more days and you won't die. St Mary's food Bank thanks a lot for no help whatsoever
I volunteered with 20 students and 3 parent's from my school's chapter of National Junior Honor Society. We had an awesome time. The students had fun and left the food bank feeling like they had accomplished something big for the community. The staff at the food bank was kind, organized, helpful, and inspiring. We are hoping to come back again in the near future!
This was an amazing experience, Organized and efficient. We worked hard and had fun! It felt so great to know we were helping so many people in just a few hours. Thank you to everyone who donates products to help those in need. We will definitely be going back:)
My team and I have volunteered at St Mary's a handful of times now and it never falls short of amazing. It is never more true to say, time flies when you're having fun, here at St Marys. The impact they have on our local community that we have the privilege to directly influence is truly such a blessing and we are honored to have them in our backyard.
Thank you to all the amazing staff over there that help make the process so smooth and enjoyable for all the volunteers. We will be back very soon.
The marketing & communications department from the University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix enjoyed our time volunteering on November 2, 2021. Upon driving up to the intersection of 31st Ave. and Thomas Rd., we were immediately made aware of the tremendous need for Emergency Food Boxes by observing the long line of cars waiting to pick up their food supplies. During our 2-hour shift we were incredibly humbled by the seemingly regular and seasoned volunteers and the hard work from the St. Mary's Food Bank staff. We're honored to have assisted in packaging over 31,000 meals. Huge thanks to St. Mary's Food Bank.
St Mary's Food Bank is a wonderful place and deserving of your donation of your time and money. The staff here is welcoming, organized and makes giving back to our community a great experience. I appreciate all the different opportunities to see their hard work action and be a small part of that process.
My wife and I have supported St. Mary’s Food Bank for years. We support St. Mary’s because we can see how our donations go directly to ease the suffering of those experiencing hunger. St. Mary’s does this very well.
Five months ago I retired. I found myself with time on my hands. Off I went to volunteer my time at St. Mary’s. I expected hard work, which it is. I expected to pack food boxes and load those boxes into cars, which I do. What I did not anticipate was the level of caring shown by the staff at St. Mary’s. They make me feel special every time I participate. The positive energy is plentiful at St. Mary’s. Moreover, I did not expect how special I would find the other volunteers at St. Mary’s. There are many circumstances that might bring one to volunteer at St. Mary’s; one could be a retiree such as myself. One could be a student looking to give back. One could be there to satisfy some mandatory community service. Once there, however, everyone has a great attitude and is working towards the common good. It has been my experience that the work is rewarding and the folks I volunteer with are a big reason why that is so. I encourage anyone to consider volunteering at St. Mary’s. With a good attitude and an open mind you will be rewarded for your effort many times fold.
John Hastings
I write in support of St. Mary’s Food Bank (St. Mary’s). I urge its consideration as a 2021 Top-Rated on-profit organization.
I volunteer at St. Mary’s and appreciate the breadth and scope of its mission.
In partnership with grocery stores, food producers, and social welfare organizations throughout Phoenix, St. Mary’s acts as a clearinghouse. As a result, It distributes food to more than 600 agencies statewide totaling over 90 million meals per year to Arizonans.
It’s programs include:
—Food distribution to homeless shelters, pantries, and dining halls, in addition to allowing food insecure people to get food directly from its warehouses.
—Children feeding programs, including meals to children in after-school programs and weekend food supplies.
Volunteering at St. Mary’s is rewarding and fulfilling. The staff is professional and welcoming. The volunteers represent all sectors of the community and it is a fun social event working with them. Volunteers become friends, and range from people who have relied on St. Mary’s for food in the past, to community doctors. The cross section of volunteers makes it interesting each time I work there.
St. Mary’s relies on financial donations and its volunteers. I support its mission which is guided by the motto “The poor we shall always have, but why the hungry?”
Steve Snorgrass
St. Mary's Food Bank does an amazing job getting food packed and sharing it with the needy. Brown & Brown Insurance Agency volunteered yesterday filling boxes. St. Mary's has an amazing system that provides efficient but fun atmosphere to get the job done. The staff is friendly and amazing to see in action. Thank you for allow us to be part of your team for the day.
St. Mary’s is a great place to be involved with! If you’re looking to volunteer, you’ll find a friendly & welcoming staff & fellow volunteers - and you can see first hand how you are helping.
My wife & I have been volunteering since early last year and each week we look forward to being there - even more than when we first started.
And by donating we feel even more a part of this great organization and its much needed mission.
My husband and I have been both donating and volunteering at St. Mary's for the last 18 months. It is a very rewarding experience! We respect how well-run and efficient St. Mary's is, and the staff is always friendly and professional. The volunteer work is very team-oriented and paced just fast enough. It feels good to give back to the community, and it feels great to be a small part of a great organization like St. Mary's that does so much good for people. Anyone reading this, please consider donating and/or volunteering!
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With the start of the COVID pandemic this year, my husband and I began donating to St. Mary's after learning how they provide such a valuable service at such a time of great need. What a good feeling it provides! St. Mary's has communicated regularly with us to explain the value of our donations and how 95% of the funds go their food programs. We especially liked the recent call the St. Mary's CEO hosted to thank donors and update us on recent developments. Trucking food up to northern Arizona to the Navajo Reservation which has been especially hard hit by the virus is such a great thing to do. We also volunteer at St. Mary's when we can, both packing the food boxes and loading the food into shopping carts for their drive-thru client distribution days. The staff is great -- very appreciative and engaging with all the volunteers. The food is good quality, varied and nutritious for families. We are glad we entered into this relationship with St. Mary's, especially after learning how they stock so many other small local food banks in Arizona. We feel our donated money is very well spent by this very well-run organization. We're glad to be a part of it!
I've been volunteering 1-2 times a week at St. Mary's since just after COVID hit. I'm also a donor after seeing first-hand how well and efficiently this organization runs. Every staff member I've interacted with for the last 18 months has been polite, professional, and very engaged in the mission. The food given out is high-quality and contains name-brand items, the same as I buy in the grocery store. I really can't say enough good things about St. Mary's, other than to encourage anyone to get involved in any way you can -- it feels good!
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I started volunteering here at the start of the COVID pandemic, about six months ago. As a recent retiree, I volunteer one or two days a week at St. Mary's to help feed people who need help. I work on the client distribution line, loading shopping carts that are then emptied into clients' vehicles as they drive through. Most days we have about 700 cars. I've been very impressed by the quality of food, especially seeing things in the carts that I eat at home -- name brand items that are in my local grocery store. The work is fast-paced and very team-oriented, with volunteers pitching in to do what is needed to keep the cart line moving. The staff at St. Mary's is great -- they keep everyone engaged and make it a fun environment, with music playing and lots of good-natured banter. Plus it just feels great to help people in need get good food to feed their families. This has been an excellent experience I'd recommend to anyone!
I’ve been volunteering at St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance for a couple of years now. This organization is extremely organized and absolutely friendly. I had the opportunity to volunteer at both locations (Surprise and Phoenix) and I absolutely enjoy volunteering at the Phoenix location. At the Phoenix location, there are two amazing volunteer leaders, Elizabeth and Felipe. They are always smiling and very enthusiastic, which makes the volunteer experience fun. Volunteering at St. Mary’s is a great experience and I highly recommend taking your time to volunteer at this great organization!
I've been volunteering for over a week in a half the staff is great lots of fun they come around to check to make sure you're ok and if you need water or anything else. Elizabeth and Felipe are the leads over the volunteers, my first day they made me feel so welcome . I'm glad I decided to do this. I enjoy coming and volunteering this is something I will do often.
Everything was super organized and well done! They even provided us with water, masks, gloves, whatever we needed! Made me feel like I really made a difference.
For over a year, I’ve been volunteering 1-2 days a week at St Mary’s Food Bank. Their staff is terrific. Volunteers feel truly appreciated. Their team always makes very good use of the time and effort volunteers are providing. It’s impressive to see how they have something meaningful for practically anyone to do, regardless of age, experience or abilities. It creates a real sense of camaraderie among their many regular volunteers.
And while the work can sometimes be demanding, you come away knowing you’ve done something that genuinely benefits our community. It’s been a wonderful, rewarding experience.
My company went out to volunteer with St. Mary's Food Bank during our September Fighting Hunger campaign. We brought out a pretty large group, over 20 people. The staff at St. Mary's were energetic and had amazing leadership skills; they made sure everyone felt welcome, had a job to do, and stayed safe! We will definitely be back. The volunteer coordinator, Rick was also really great at taking photos for my organization and promptly sending an email with a summary of our impact. Great organization!
Nine volunteers and I from Hands on Greater Phoenix worked last Saturday packing much needed food boxes. We all enjoyed our experience and felt rewarded for our efforts. Volunteers are always needed daily in one capacity or other so please don’t miss this life changing experience
We "Team Shamrock" have been volunteering with St Mary's Food Bank since 2017 every second Saturday of every month, even through the pandemic. We take pride in volunteering and love helping our community in need. We enjoy working with the St Mary's team and they make it so much fun. Team Shamrock appreciates what you do for the people and our community. Thank you for everything you do.
It always feels great to volunteer at St.Mary's Food Bank. The staff is always friendly, professional and helpful. Members of our group have expressed the joy they've experienced each time they volunteered here. Some of our group members have gone on to volunteer individually.
Myself and a team of co-workers got together to volunteer at St. Mary's Food Bank on Friday 6/18, in conjunction with a company initiative to give back to our communities. It has been quite a while since I had volunteered and I forgot how much it meant to me! We all felt very proud to donate a few hours of our time to help those in need. St. Mary's mission of alleviating hunger in Arizona is amazing and reaches so many people in need.
I was looking for a place for our group , MERCY Worldwide - Phoenix, to do work that would make a huge difference in many people's lives in our community. I heard about St. Mary's Food Bank and made arrangements for our group to pack emergency food boxes. They were so friendly, very well organized, yet serious about what they are doing. It was amazing that within a few hours, we had served over 2,000 individuals/families! They made our experience so much fun with upbeat music, jokes, etc. I have never had so many requests from our group to go back and volunteer on a regular basis!! It was also nice to hear some people in our group speak about how they had received services from St. Mary's, and were so grateful, they wanted to give back. We now volunteer quarterly and we are always happy to do so. You cannot find many organizations of this caliber to serve. Thank you so much St. Mary's for all that you do for our community. Michelle Brown
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I was looking for an organization where a group of 50 people could do volunteer work and make a positive difference in our community. St. Mary's Food Bank had a spot for all of us packing emergency food boxes. Every response I received from our workers after the event was so positive. Everyone said they had so much fun, they loved the music, enjoyed working with the other volunteers and loved knowing that the work they did was to meet the need of people having a difficult time. In a total of four hours, our group packed 1,440 emergency food boxes which went to senior citizens throughout Arizona! We want to come back to St. Mary's and volunteer on a regular basis. Thank you for the AWESOME job you are doing St. Mary's!!
M. Brown, Director
MERCY Worldwide - Phoenix
I have been volunteering at St. Mary's Food Bank for about 3 months. Each week I look forward to spending my time with such a great nonprofit company. The employees are very welcoming and accommodating to each individual who volunteers. I have gained a lot of knowledge on how food banks are able to help the community and how they prevent food waste. I would recommend volunteering at St. Mary's Food Bank to everyone, there are people of all ages giving back to the community!
-Carli Cox
When my children were young I took them to St Mary’s in the summer to be sure they understood the importance of community support. Now as adults they come with me and bring friends to continue to support the community. Each of the staff at the different locations are genuine and their efforts to ensure that the volunteers are used to their fullest each session is outstanding. They are very organized. I have been going once or twice a week since the beginning of the summer and I am so thankful to have a place to go where everyone is positive and helpful. Keep up the good work!
I started volunteering at St. Mary's Food Bank for a social work class. During these 3 weeks of volunteering, the volunteer coordinators are very welcoming and make you feel as one of the workers. The volunteers are also very nice and welcoming. I would love to invite everyone I know, to volunteer because we are helping people get food that they require. I will most definitely be going back to volunteer, after my hours are completed.
My husband and I are new residents to the Phoenix area and were looking for a way to start participating in our community. We were told about St. Mary’s food bank and the volunteer opportunities. Great staff (and music) keeps the event quick paced and fun! Amazing sense of satisfaction to help assemble ~1800 boxes of emergency food in a 2-hour shift each time we volunteer.
If you are looking for a way to help your community, especially now during COVID-19, look no further. St Mary's Food Bank takes every precaution to keep the staff and volunteers safe.
Their mission to resolve food insecurity issues is paramount. They could not help as many, without dedicated volunteers.
I love St. Mary’s food bank. I was looking for a place to volunteer and found them online. I didn’t know anyone and I had never been there before. I just clicked volunteer on their website and signed up for a 2 hour shift on a Saturday. I love all the workers and volunteers at St. Mary’s Food Bank. They are all very kind and helpful people. I have signed up many days from 8am-10am and 12pm-2pm packing food boxes. I enjoy the music they play and the 2 hours goes by fast. In the past 6 months I have volunteered more than 50 hours at St. Mary’s Food Bank. I highly recommend St. Mary’s Food Bank for anyone looking to help others but also would like to feel a sense of pride and you’ll definitely leave feeling better about yourself. Do what I did and go to their website and sign up for a 2 hour shift, I promise you won’t regret it. I plan to volunteer here for many years to come, as long as there is still a need.
One of my daughter's needed community service hours for NHS for school. We signed up to help out at St. Mary's Food Bank. They make volunteering fun and easy. It's a great way to instill the importance of helping out your community and great as a family project. Now we go all of the time, just because we want to help.
St Mary's really helps the community. Food insecurity is a real problem in Arizona. The staff and volunteers are very dedicated to their clients. There are numerous volunteer opportunities making it easy to contribute. The volunteers are greatly appreciated.
If you are looking to do a group volunteer day, St Mary's is the perfect organization to work with. We are the product development team at PetSmart and we had a great time. It was fulfilling and we loved how we were able to interact directly with the people we were helping. Thanks for having us St. Mary's!
Fantastic experience as always! I am so proud to work for an organization where community as well as the partnership with St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance is of high importance. There is no better feeling that giving back and I am beyond impressed with this nonprofit! Thank you for all you do for our community and the families within!
ASU's technology office volunteered here in May and we had a wonderful time! It was a fun and fulfilling way to give back. It is so amazing what St. Mary's is able to do for those in need and we are so honored to have had a small part in that! We can't wait to come back! Also, the music choices on the day we were there were fantastic!
Moon Valley High School volunteered with St. Mary's Food Bank on a Saturday in May and WE LOVED OUR TIME THERE! We had heard great things about the food packing program from our football coach and team, and the experience was more than we expected in such a phenomenal way. Our group was able to bond and share a moment together that will be unforgettable, all while giving back to our community. We cannot wait to come back :)
I coordinate the charities for our firm and this is by far the best one we do. We have fun doing it and feel so good about it afterwards. We like to make it a bit of a competition to see which line will finish first so we pack a lot of boxes in the time we are there. It doesn't take up a lot of time and it is such a wonderful thing. Everyone should consider doing this, individuals, companies, just everyone. Oh yeah and if you are enthusiastic about it, you may win a shirt!!
Our associates at Breakthru Beverage always have a great time and leave feeling good about the time they've put in to helping such a great charity. We will definitely continue donating and volunteering at St. Mary's!
I love donating my time to this organization. Not only are you helping the community, but the people coordinating the event are great. They respond quickly to emails, they create a fun lively atmosphere and it's a great place for large groups to volunteer.
I volunteered at St. Mary's as part of a corporate group and had an incredibly positive experience. Our team loved helping with the distribution of food boxes as it allowed us to also interact with clients. Would definitely recommend this opportunity to others!
This was one of the most memorable volunteering experiences To date. I was given the opportunity to volunteer with them through Junior League of Phoenix. I had the honor of working the day before Thanksgiving. We had a lot of fun with several other volunteers working together to distribute many meals to families in need. The representatives of St. Mary’s Food Bank where there to make sure we were knowledgeable on what we were doing and doing it safely. It was so much fun! I can’t wait to get another opportunity to work with them again.
Our company had such a great time volunteering at St. Mary's Food Bank over the last few weeks. The team at SMFB was so great to work with and gave us clear direction on how to keep the assembly line going quickly in order to get as much food as possible to those in need. We will definitely be volunteering again in the near future!
St. Mary's is an awesome place to volunteer! We here at Tallwave love how they are able to handle large groups and make it fun at the same time. We will definitely be coming back to St. Mary's Food Bank for more volunteering in the future!
Our family and friends gathered at St. Mary's to honor the late Tim Smith for Show Up for Smitty. The event could not have been a bigger success! St. Mary's was so accommodating for our group of 100+ people. Friends are asking if this will be an annual event! Thank you St. Mary's for letting us remember a truly wonderful man who loved so many people.
I work for Universal Technical Institute and my team wanted to give back to the community. Our company offers time for team members to participate in community service during our normal business hours. We decided to help out at St. Mary's Food Bank. They were well organized and friendly. We really had a great time and will be back again in the spring as a team. I am also looking forward to bringing my family this month!
This was my first time volunteering at St. Mary's Food Bank. I really did not have any expectations because of that, but WOW, I was very impressed with the operation of this food bank. Very well organized and well run. It was great meeting all kinds of people from employees to other volunteers. I can see myself doing this again and again. Thank you for a great experience and feeding the needy as I can see the happiness on the people that really need this food for them and their families, that was the best part! THANK YOU AGAIN!!
Phoenix Boy Scout Troop 6 had a great experience packing 1,080 emergency food boxes in less than 2 hours! The Scouts loved that they were physically active, unpacking flats of food, filling the supplies at the conveyor belts, packing the boxes with food, taping boxes closed, loading boxes onto a pallet & then shrink wrapping the pallet of boxes together. The music was going, the boys were busy, they did a good deed, they left feeling a little tired, and it was truly a good time. It's unanimous that we will be back to do more work at St. Mary's Food Bank!
What a great volunteering experience. The event was very organized and warehouse workers got all volunteers to get involved, working together to accomplish an awesome goal. ADESA/Openlane is all about helping others and I'm grateful our Finance Team experienced this event together. Way to go SMFB!!!
Best Western believes in giving back to the communities in which we live and operate. Last week, 160 of our corporate office team members packed over 50,000 lbs. of food for Phoenix area families in need. We appreciate this opportunity to continue to partner with St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance on this important work! #BestWesternLife #BWSmiles
Had a great experience with St. Mary's Food Bank. Staff is always great, even got to service at a different location (3131 W. Thomas) with our school volleyball team. Thankful that we have organizations here to help AZ residents. St. Mary's is always flexible, allows kids to come and serve and has always accommodated the large group of kids I bring in.
St. Mary’s was a great host for community service I plan on going back due to their great flexibility and friendly staff.
Our journey with St. Mary's began this past May when our company collected over 7,000 lbs of food donations in our first food drive. That event led us to our first joint department (admin and accounting) team building at St. Mary's this past Friday, 9/14/18. We had such an amazing time working together assembling emergency food boxes. Our goal was 16 pallets and we exceeded that with putting together 21! It was an exhilarating and inspiring experience to feel the positive energy working side by side knowing we were contributing and helping those in need. Thank you St. Mary's for the opportunity. We hope to bring our entire company back in the near future to volunteer.
Our company has been donating our time to SMFB since 2015. I appreciate how organized they are at every volunteer opportunity and knowing how we can each have our individual hands on providing food to our community is very satisfying.
Our corporate team of 40 had a wonderful experience packing boxes last week! It was great for us to spend time together while giving back to the community. The staff at St. Mary's was very helpful and nice to work with.
What a fun place to volunteer! I took a group of teenagers here and they had the best time. They worked really hard, but did so rocking out to fun music and bonding with their friends. They felt great when Sean announced the number of boxes we packed and felt proud that they made such a difference in two hours. The staff is very nice and helpful. We can’t wait to go back!
I'm am writing on behalf of the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS), Bureau of Nutrition and Physical Activity (BNPA). Our bureau volunteered at St. Mary's Food Bank in Phoenix for two hours on July 24, 2018. As I had participated the year before, I was asked to organize the effort for our group. I worked with the Volunteer Coordinator at St. Mary's to secure the date and time and organize our experience prior to our arrival. We registered our team of 21 and arrived, ready to work! We took a 'before' photo, and got our assignment of packing produce boxes. Most of us were on an assembly line, while other built and stacked boxes. I packed carrots! We worked and packed, danced and laughed, sang and contributed to our community, supported by our bureau chief, who joined us. We are appreciative of both ADHS for supporting our efforts and St. Mary's, who makes volunteering easy and fun. We took an 'after' picture, looking a bit tired but rejuvenated, knowing we had made a small difference in our communities. I encourage others to volunteer and make a difference.
The folks at St. Mary's did an outstanding job arranging for our team to come and work the assembly line to fill boxes of food. We were greeted by their senior manager, whom expressed appreciation towards our company's continued support of St. Mary's efforts towards needy families. The following deliverable was achieved: 16 palates of packaged food distributed into 1,150 boxes. All in less than 2 hours! The overall experience was great, St. Mary's has made some changes in a positive direction since last year, and has made a laborious event a fun activity!
St Mary's provided a safe and fun way to give back to the community for my office group. Water and entertainment was provided and we all agreed it was a worthwhile investment. Thanks St. Mary's!
Our company, MST Solutions, chose to volunteer at St. Mary's Food Bank because we wanted to focus our efforts on nonprofits that directly impact the communities we live in for the better. Knowing the work we did with them will directly impact people in our Arizona communities was a big positive. We had a lot of fun and were very thankful for St. Mary's Food Bank for their great program and mission.
This was a great way to spend a Friday afternoon! The team at St. Mary's were passionate and enthusiastic about helping the community! Honored to have contributed just a little! Keep up the great work! Job well done!!!!
We had a group of Wake Forest alums volunteer at St. Mary's Food Bank, and it was AWESOME. Their staff does such a great job of making all activities fun, interactive, and impactful. The system they have in place is incredibly impressive, and the change they are creating in the Phoenix area by providing food to those who need it most is truly admirable. This place is terrific.
Thank you for the opportunity to volunteer @ St. Mary’s Food Bank & Alliance.
We all had a great experience. St Mary’s just remodeled their warehouse; they have made a fine machine even better. Very organized, fast paced, great music, & the best time spent doing something good for our community.
I joined my company for a morning of packing meals at St. Mary's. Aside from the great work you do, I was very impressed with your operation. The facility was very well organized and run, and your people were very knowledgeable and professional. Sean's introduction was also awesome. We all felt gratified at being able to help out and had a lot of fun as well. Keep up the great work. Best, Craig S.
SMFBA 03/13/2018
Thank you for your support!
The SAP Enterprise Architect team really enjoyed a great event at St. Mary's Food Bank. There's nothing like the feeling that comes from volunteering and giving back to the community. Sean (our volunteer leader) confirmed our efforts contributed to 21,000 meals for Pheonix residents. Thanks to the St. Mary's Food Bank for making a difference in the world!
Steve DiMauro
SMFBA 03/13/2018
Thanks, Steve! Your SAP group brought so much energy to our warehouse!
This was the 3rd time that I brought my middle school community service group, Builder's Club, to volunteer at St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance. They are always super-organized and friendly. They keep the shift short enough (2 hours) and active enough that the 6th, 7th, and 8th graders don't get bored. This is a great place for kids to work on their teamwork and character skills.
SMFBA 03/13/2018
Thank you!
We have been bringing our student volunteer groups to St Mary's for years, and we have always had a positive experience. The students get great satisfaction from being able to help and from seeing the amount of food we are able to pack in less than two hours! The recent changes in the warehouse and volunteer shift structuring have made the experience even more efficient and enjoyable. Thanks, St. Mary's!
SMFBA 03/13/2018
We appreciate your support!
Myself and a group of coworkers volunteered here on a Saturday morning. Despite it being early, it was one of the most fun and rewarding volunteer opportunities I have even been a part of. The staff was friendly and very informative. Everything was down to a science, so we could make the most of our packing time. On top of all that, they played great music for the entirety of our packing session! I will definitely be coming back and volunteering again. :)
SMFBA 03/13/2018
We can't wait to see you again!
We at Phoenix Christian Preparatory School have been bringing groups of high school students to serve at St. Mary's Food Bank several times a year for many years, and it has always been a pleasure and an honor to work with such a well run and efficient an organization. We always go away with a feeling of accomplishment, and we look forward to the next opportunity to work with Saint Mary's Food Bank.
At Gateway Early College High School in Phoenix, we value serving the community. Our students work hard to achieve 100 hours of community service in order to graduate. We were able to work with St. Mary's to accommodate a group of 80 high school aged volunteers. This is the second year we've worked with them for this event. The planning was awesome and they followed up with us to assure how many people we would have. The day we arrived they broke us up into various groups in order to have more than one production line growing. We were able in a short amount of time to pack 20 pallets of emergency food boxes per line as well as a few hundred mobile packs for backpacks. The youth who participated had an enjoyable time interacting with the staff and each other. They worked hard, danced to the music that was playing in the warehouse and honestly felt the spirit of giving to the community. Thanks St. Mary's for letting us help you serve our community.
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We were able to arrange a volunteer experience for 75 high school Freshmen. The food bank staff was amazing in the way they assisted us with this large project. The not only went the extra mile to help us find transportation for our group, but also were accommodating to our additional needs. During the production they led our group in the process of packing food boxes, but more importantly helped our youth to understand the needs in our community for their service. Many of these 14-15 year olds had never had an community service experience prior. We will definitely return in the future. Thanks St. Mary's for your awesome work in our community.
Sean and all the St. Mary's Food Bank staff welcomed us and provided support and training for our 35 8th graders who came out to volunteer. St. Mary's Food Bank staff recognized the middle schoolers' ability by dedicating an entire production line to them to set up, pack and load boxes. Our students had a life long memory from this day and many of them commented that "this was so much fun"! The atmosphere was more like a day at the park with all the laughter and comaraderie, music and chit chat...
Thank you St. Mary's,
Challenger School Interact Club
St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance was a wonderful experience for our first team-building activity as a class at Mayo Clinic School of Medicine in Arizona. We were amazed to learn that St. Mary's was the world's first food bank. Even more incredible is that they help as many people now in one day as they did in one month in 1967 when they opened their doors. Helping our community by assembling food boxes was fun. We danced, sang, and had an all-around good time as we built and filled boxes with good nutrition. The St. Mary's staff were informative, helpful, and ready to assist us, all with a friendly smile. We look forward to returning soon to help them do more good!
I am a student in the inaugural class of Mayo Clinic School of Medicine in Scottsdale. Our class volunteered at St. Mary's Food Bank and had a wonderful experience. We were all welcomed with open arms and felt truly appreciated by the food bank staff. We packed food packages for food-insecure elderly Arizonans and had a ton of fun in the process. Instructions were clearly explained, and the entire experience was very enjoyable. We definitely plan on returning in the future!
We were so pleased to be invited to help out our local community fight hunger. St. Mary's Food Bank did an amazing job organizing this event and made everyone feel welcome. Thank you for the water as well. That helps a lot with it being so warm here in Phoenix. We were able to fill thousands of boxes in just a few hours; which is incredible. So many less people going hungry and all thanks to this wonderful source and the willingness of our community to volunteer and help them out. Thank you St. Mary's.
My co-workers and I volunteered packing the emergency food boxes. What a great experience! Being a part of something bigger than yourself is so rewarding. We felt so accomplished after we were done. St. Mary's mission statement is definitely aligned with the values of Robert W Baird as a firm and we are so proud that our firm encourages it's associates to give back to their communities in such a real way. We are definitely planning another date later in the year to come and give back again. St. Mary's will be on our list every year going forward. Thank you for providing this worthwhile and very needed resource for our community. I know that St. Mary's means so much to so many!
St. Mary's food bank in Phoenix, AZ is a fabulous place! They positively impact so many lives in our community each and every day. Today I had the privilege to donate some time with my co-workers and pack emergency food boxes. We packed 936 emergency food boxes in just a few short hours because the team at St. Mary's was well organized and prepared for our visit. I was very impressed with how smooth the process ran. It was a great experience coordinating with Matt Cooper, St. Mary's Volunteer Recruitment Specialist; he made it easy for my group to sign up remotely. I look forward to doing this again in the future! Thank you, St. Mary's, for all you do for our community!
Our company Heartland School Solutions has volunteered at St. Mary's for the past 2 years. This is a well run operation that makes really good use of our group of 50. The music playing lifts the atmosphere and everyone enjoyed the hard work! Thanks St. Mary's for what you do for our community!
Fay Skaggs
Heartland School Solutions
St. Mary's have always provided a valuable opportunity for our middle school's students. Students learn that it is worthwhile to help others and donating time can be intrinsically rewarding. We have volunteered at St. Mary's for our yearly field trip the last five years and we intend to continue to do so. Thank you for the opportunity.
I took 21 third graders to volunteer at St. Mary's Food Bank last week. It was a wonderful experience. My students came aways excited to help in the community, and several of them wanted to bring their families back to volunteer. I teach all year about ways to show kindness and this is a way to have my students feel like they can really make a difference. Thanks to St. Mary's Food Bank for letting us volunteer!
I was advised by the volunteer director's male secretary that I was unable to volunteer. I find it quite strange that I was turned away at the door when all I wanted to do was volunteer my time to help out in my community. Not only have I lost interest, my business has as well. We do not wish to do business with a company who picks and chooses who should volunteer. After all, you aren't even paying us for our time. Not a good place and they should be investigated for their business practices. Something doesn't add up.
SMFBA 02/08/2017
Hello Sir, Thank you so much for sharing your concerns. We do apologize that you had a negative experience. We would like to invite you back to the food bank so that we can get you set up with a volunteer activity. Our volunteers mean the world to us and we would like the opportunity to resolve. Feel free to call anytime! Hope to hear from you soon. Thanks again! - Jennifer G. / Volunteer Engagement Manager
Our Volunteer group, usually 12 people, volunteers every quarter. This is a huge part of the Dignity Health culture. We have enjoyed our past two experiences here at St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance. Both opportuinties provided the team with challenges that enabled us to use our team building skills. The volunteer events held here are very well organized and fun too!
This is always a very humble and rewarding experience. Matt Cooper is so efficient and helpful he always sets us up quickly with dates and times zero hassles when contacting him to schedule a volunteering date. The residence Inn Phoenix team volunteered on September 27, 2016. During our volunteering time we had such a great time, everyone is very nice and helpful, and informative at the warehouse. Unfortunately our time to give back was cut short due to some donated items, but we look forward to coming back very soon to help out.
Chris Grimsley and Matt Cooper were so great setting up a group of members from Events and Adventures to give helping hands to their facility. They had music going throughout the volunteering and as leaving the Food Bank, it left a good feeling in your heart assisting and providing over 10,000 meals for families in need.
We had the opportunity to bring 80 new teachers to the St Mary's Food Bank to do volunteer work as part of our Community Day during New Teacher Orientation. The staff at the Food Bank were very professional and energetic and provided us with a great experience. The staff had so much fun and felt very good in being able to help out so many people. Thank you St. Mary's Food Bank for allowing us to set up such a great fun and fulfilling opportunity.
Daniel
Very rewarding and fun volunteer experience! I've found it easy to facilitate and a really positive experience for the groups I've gone with. I plan on volunteering here more with Jugger Arizona or another group.
Some of our office staff volunteered for the first time at St. Mary's this past Saturday and the staff was very helpful and nice. They kept us motivated and made our experience a great one. St. Mary's is such a wonderful organization to volunteer for.
I am a Police Officer for the Phoenix Police Department and coordinate the Summer G.R.E.A.T. Program for elementary students. I have been the coordinator/instructor since 2001 and in that time we have enjoyed coming to St Mary's food bank and giving back. When I first explain what the community service will entail and where we are going the students are less than enthused. Once we get there though and with the great direction, upbeat leaders and incredible organization the kids cant wait to come back. You make it fun even though they are working. It gives them a sense of pride when they finally hear the total count at the end of their shift. I get nothing but positive comments and even the officers that have never done it before are in awe of how organized you run your facility. You are a fine tuned machine and it is our pleasure to come out every year and share with the students the gift of giving back.
Our Kids Care organization volunteered at St. Mary's Food Bank this last weekend and everyone loved it! We had about 10 kids and 8 adults and everyone agreed that it was a fabulous experience. The kids were very proud about the number of people they were able to feed by their packing and wanted to stay even longer.
We will definitely do this volunteer activity again!
My family really enjoyed our experience volunteering at St. Mary's! They have a very organized, welcoming, and fun environment. They make it easy to give back!
St. Mary's Food Bank is a wonderful place for team-building opportunities. I volunteer with my company every quarter and the staff at St. Mary's is always so friendly and welcoming. They do an amazing job orientating and explaining what our task will be. I have helped pack the food boxes at their main warehouse and I love how they play music to keep everyone enthused/motivated. I have also helped distribute the food which is definitely an eye-opener to how many people in my community need a helping hand. I always look forward to volunteering with the company, i have even started doing it with my family as well. Awesome place! I highly recommend St. Mary's Food Bank
If your group is looking for a great team-building experience in Phoenix, it doesn't get much better than St. Mary's Food Bank. I have done volunteer projects with most of the other non-profits in the area, and no one matches St. Mary's when it comes to enthusiasm and providing an experience that makes you feel like you are making a difference. They pack thousands of food boxes every week and your group works to the beat of the music right in the warehouse surrounded by all the food they ship all over Arizona. They give you a short history and tell you about where the food you pack will wind up within days. Hunger is unacceptable in the United States and St. Mary's is the world's first food bank. They know what they are doing and you will walk away with a rich experience.
My organization is based in the Dallas area and in 2014 opened a new location in Mesa. We were looking for an opportunity to provide each new hire an experience of giving back to the community. St. Mary’s was exactly what we were looking for and have had the pleasure of sending our employees there about 7 times since we opened the Mesa office. These groups are sometimes up to 25 individuals and St. Mary’s always accommodates our needs. The volunteer group is organized, quick to respond to my emails and works with us for any last minute changes we may have.
We look forward to many more opportunities volunteering at St. Mary’s!
I coordinate volunteer projects for my company's employee volunteer program, and St. Mary's is always one of our favorites.
We usually volunteer packing food boxes in the warehouse, or distributing them in the distribution center.
St. Mary's is well organized and do a great job of keeping volunteers busy. They also play music and encourage volunteers to have fun. They have a nice area for volunteers to sit if they need a break, and cold water bottles are provided.
Our volunteers always leave with a sense of accomplishment because the group leader always let's us know how many boxes we packed and how many people that will feed.
I highly recommend St. Mary's Food Bank for any group volunteer or teambuilding activity.
We loved volunteering at St. Mary's! It was a great team builder for our department.
We will definitely look to schedule again next quarter.
St. Mary's Food Bank is the best non-profit! Very well organized, great atmosphere and lots of postive vibes! Staff is frinedly! All projects are high energy (packing emergency food boxes and food sort). Music is always playing and I love that we can dance while working! Shifts average 2-3 hours and this is also a great opportunity to meet and network with other volutneers. I will be back!
I have worked at St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance for the past two years in the role of Human Resources Business Partner and I was a volunteer for the first three months. Prior to joining the St. Mary's team, I was as senior level human resources professional for three fortune 100 insurance companies. These organizations basically cared about profit and although they made donations to charity, the culture did not embrace helping others. My experience working with this organization has been the most rewarding and fulfilling in my career. Every employee is truly committed to the mission of alleviating hunger through the gathering and distribution of food while encouraging self-sufficiency, collaboration, advocacy and education. In my daily interactions with our leadership team, employees and volunteers, every person I have come in contact with treats one another with dignity and respect. The culture is all about teamwork and doing whatever it takes to distribute food, solicit donations and educate our customers. New hires come to see me after their first 90 days and report that this is the best place they have ever worked. Less than 5% of our revenue is spent on administration with the donations actually going to those in our community who are in need. I am so proud to be a part of a organization that truly walks the talk.
I have worked at St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance for the past two years in the role of Human Resources Business Partner and I was a volunteer for the first three months. Prior to joining the St. Mary's team, I was as senior level human resources professional for three fortune 100 insurance companies. These organizations basically cared about profit and although they made donations to charity, the culture did not embrace helping others. My experience working with this organization has been the most rewarding and fulfilling in my career. Every employee is truly committed to the mission of alleviating hunger through the gathering and distribution of food while encouraging self-sufficiency, collaboration, advocacy and education. In my daily interactions with our leadership team, employees and volunteers, every person I have come in contact with treats one another with dignity and respect. The culture is all about teamwork and doing whatever it takes to distribute food, solicit donations and educate our customers. New hires comes to see me after their first 90 days and report that this is the best place they have ever worked. Less that 5% of our revenue is spent on administration with the donations actually go to those in our community who are in need. I am so proud to be a part of a organization that truly walks the talk.
Review from Guidestar
I am a retired HR director from a large technology company. I have worked at St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance twice: first, 1987-88 time frame when it was a much smaller organization as a volunteer and now, in 2013-14 as a OD Consultant who is helping with the implementation of a HR System, and writing coursework for newly hired employees. My role has me in contact with many leaders and employees. I have seen most of their buildings, facilities and operations.
St. Mary's was the first food bank in the United States and I have seen it twice - Now after it evolved from a small operation (6 panel trucks in 1987) to a huge operation (about 60 semi-truck today). The current organization is changing to accommodate the growing hunger population in Arizona. Their challenge is not only to get the food and funds donated to meet the needs of the hungry but also to quickly distribute the food to other agencies so it ends up in the hands of the hungry elders, families and children. They have a cooking school to teach very marketable skills to those who need a fresh start. And with their experience, they are a resource to clients and other agencies feeding the hungry.
I don't know the exact ratio but it looks like to me that there are 10 volunteers for every 1 employee. I have not found anyone there who is not helpful and dedicated. The people working there are positive and cheerful. But, I have seen several employees moved to tears when discussing their clients and their situations - such heart and compassion is so rare.
The culture seems focused and intentional – and I could see some people not “fitting in” if they were still hyped up from corporate “for profit” cultures or not collaborative. St. Mary’s seems to have mastered the art of doing a lot for so many with very few paid employees, a smile, kind hearts and a lot of creativity.
In closing, I will add that everyone who hears I am working for St. Mary's - smiles and nods because they have such a wonderful reputation here in Phoenix.
Review from Guidestar
Since the new administration has taken over, at least 40 staff members have been unceremoniously fired. First, any of the direct reports to the operations director, then once the new president took over, many of the direct reports to the executive director were fired, or had their hours and benefits cut.
Let me clarify "fired." These individuals were given a paper to sign, saying they would resign and were given a severance package. By signing this document, they agreed not to speak to anyone about the circumstances of their departure. In this way, the senior administrative staff could explain to the board that these high-quality individuals [who have never been cautioned previously and had exemplary reviews] had simply resigned. These "firings" were not based on lack of merit or job performance, but simply a dislike by the new senior management - or the level of compensation. Some jobs were "eliminated" as an explanation, but offered to other staff after the departure of the individuals involved. It is reprehensible behavior for a charitable organization of this kind.
Review from CharityNavigator
I worked there from mid-1986 to mid-1988 as a mission volunteer (Methodist). St. Mary's was then in the process of rapidly expanding programs. The emphasis on frugality was remarkable - every one was working for relatively little to support the cause, and even the director refused pay raises several times. We were successfully in getting all sorts of goods and services donated because the community respected us so well. The problems then were the inadequate physical facility and some unconstructive rivalries with the West Side Food Bank and the local St. Vincent de Paul society, although there was already a good relationship with the Food Bank in Flagstaff. I talked to several of the Board Members about the rivalries, and saw some immediate changes. The new facility was not purchased until after I left, but I did see it on a later visit, and it is everything one could want for a growing Food Bank in a growing state. I'm glad to see the establishment of the Alliance. No one who lives in the Alliance's service area (which is everything in Arizona except the counties around Tucson) should have any hesitations about supporting this charity.