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Food Lines is a quarterly publication of the

Association of Arizona Food Banks2100 N. Central Avenue, Suite 230

Phoenix, AZ 85004-1400

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Food Lines

Tip of the Cap: Longtime CEOs Bob Evans (L) of United Food Bank and Bill Carnegie (R) of

Community Food Bank of So. Arizona (R) are retiring at year end. Thanks for your leadership and service.

www.azfoodbanks.org | /azfoodbanks | /aafb

• The 2012-2013 AAFB Annual Report• Holiday Giving Options & Events Supporting AAFB• Donate Your Citrus: Arizona Statewide Gleaning Project Update

a quarterly publication of the Association of Arizona Food Banks

Winter 2013 | Vol. 30 | No. 2

Arizona’s Food Banks Want Your Citrus: After the first of the year, donate your backyard citrus to a local food bank. It makes for a fresh, healthy

addition to the food their clients receive.

Insi

de:

Dear Friends,

For me, the holiday season is always a time of good cheer, to be thankful for the blessings I have and to reflect on the year’s successes and obstacles. It is a time to step back, spend time with family and friends and set new year goals.

That is exactly what AAFB will be doing after this holiday season. The Board of Directors and our staff will begin strategic planning to revisit our current services and programs, evaluate our effectiveness in supporting our member food banks, and reaffirm our commitment to our mission: to deliver food and quality services to our food banks and to foster relationships in support of our commitment to eliminate hunger.

We will be making decisions about how best to accomplish this using information available in this annual report and other metrics, while recognizing our many successes mentioned below. After six months on the job, I am eager to be a part of this planning process to strengthen what we do best and consider new directions.

Just last year, AAFB distributed 30 million pounds of food through our Arizona Statewide Gleaning Project to hungry children, families and seniors. We referred more than 2,000 households around the state to appropriate resources for emergency or ongoing nutrition assistance. We elevated the seriousness and pervasiveness of hunger by screening A Place at the Table (available now on Netflix, iTunes, Amazon and many other retailers) to more than 200 attendees at our annual conference. These are amazing successes that help address the nutritional needs of 1 in 5 food insecure Arizonans. However, is this enough? Could we be doing more? What prevents us from “moving the needle?” Who do we need to help us? What are we doing to address the “why hunger?”

The problem of hunger cannot be solved with the solutions of today. Most experts in this field will tell you the problem of hunger is not about a lack of food, it is a problem of distribution and access. It is about getting the right amount of nutritious food at the right time and having the resources to do so. So this year, AAFB will be looking at solutions to do just that. How do we improve our delivery systems to move more food through the network? How do we improve our partnerships with local growers and donors to increase the amount of food in our network? How do we speak on behalf of policies that will increase access to healthy foods?

I invite you to be a part of our conversation. Poverty and hunger- or more boldly- food insecurity in Arizona is too big for AAFB and our member food banks to solve on our own. I encourage you to send me your ideas, your connections, even your criticisms and hopefully your financial support to help create the solution for tomorrow.

Until then, please enjoy your family this holiday season. I know I will – with four very anxious children watching the skies for a glimpse of the sleigh!

Respectfully,

Angie Rodgers, President & CEO

Advocacy Matters Farm Bill Talks Ongoing, SNAP (Food Stamp) Cuts Are Key Sticking PointOver the summer, the House of Representatives took the unprecedented move of splitting the Farm Bill in two, placing SNAP (Food Stamps) and other nutrition programs in limbo while passing farm subsidies and related measures. Many speculated that having been separated from the herd, this would leave SNAP vulnerable to large cuts, and in mid- September, the House voted to cut SNAP by nearly $40 billion over the next decade (which would remove an estimated 125,000 Arizonans from the program). By comparison, the Senate voted to cut SNAP by $4 billion over ten years.

At the time we went to press, the Farm Bill was still being negotiated in conference committee, with many potential outcomes in play: a new 5-year Farm Bill, another continuing resolution (which would see SNAP funded at current levels), or inclusion as part of a larger debt-ceiling or omnibus piece of legislation before December 31.

Focus remains on seeing a Farm Bill passed with no SNAP cuts. At the time of publication we can’t know what will happen with the Farm Bill, so it’s crucial advocates continue to contact their representatives to reiterate “NO SNAP cuts!” It’s easy to do so at www.contactingthecongress.org. Thanks for your advocacy!

Against that backdrop, SNAP was subject to significant automatic spending reductions when Stimulus funding expired on November 1. That cut, totalling $5 billion in 2014 and $11 billion over 2014-16, resulted in an average cut of $36 per month for a family of four in Arizona, as you can see in this chart from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

As our economy improves, SNAP enrollment is projected to return to previous pre-recession norms, as it has historically done. In fact, a recent report in the New York Times showed SNAP spending and caseloads have already plateaued in the last year, signifying that further cuts are unnecessary.

Priorities for the Upcoming Arizona Legislative Session

In January, our attention will turn to the Arizona legislative session. Preliminary priorities include protection of the $1.7 million hunger line item that benefits both AAFB and our member food banks. This critical support helps fund both the statewide coordination of food banks and the Arizona Statewide Gleaning Project. Our agenda also includes advocating for additional resources for DES to reduce errors and manage Medicaid expansion caseload growth through their $4.6 billion budget request for 200 eligibility workers. Finally, we will continue our effort to see finger- imaging for SNAP recipients eliminated. Arizona remains the only state in the union that requires finger-imaging.

From the President’s DeskAngie Rodgers, AAFB President & CEO

AAFB Quick Takes

Order Your Hunger Relief License Plate TodayAlmost 1,300 have been ordered - do you have yours? The official Arizona Hunger Relief specialty license plate can be ordered at www.servicearizona.com or by visiting any MVD or Authorized Third Party office. They look awesome and are a great way to promote the hunger cause - $17 of the $25 fee benefits AAFB and our member food banks that collectively serve all 15 Arizona counties. Keep in mind specialty license plate fees are not pro-rated, therefore your new Hunger Relief license plate will renew on your next scheduled vehicle registration renewal date.

Holiday Promotions: Copenhagen, First Fidelity Bank, Coco’s & Carrows, Hula’s Modern Tiki

Looking for a great holiday gift for yourself or someone you love? Support AAFB when you purchase an Ekornes Stressless recliner from Copenhagen Imports before January 20, 2014. Simply donate a minimum of $50 at the point of sale, specifying that you want the donation to go to AAFB, and you will receive $200 off any Ekornes Stressless recliner or $400 off select Stressless Eagle or Wing recliners.

Do you bank with First Fidelity Bank? Make a contribution to AAFB or drop off non-perishable food at any of their Arizona branch locations throughout December.

Coco’s and Carrows Restaurants started Pies for a Purpose in 2009 to help feed their local communities. Now through the end of the year, purchase an extra pie at any Coco’s or Carrows and they will donate it to a local food bank. Last year, Coco’s and Carrows donated over 20,000 pies—help them surpass that mark this year!

Finally, as part of their monthly Mahalo Mondays program, Hula’s Modern Tiki is donating 10% of their gross proceeds to AAFB during all four Mondays in January, 2014. Hula’s Modern Tiki, located at 4700 N. Central Avenue, just south of Camelback Road, serves up great modern island cuisine and tropical cocktails in a casual, hip environment.

Thanks to Our Many Partners in 2012-13Thank you to all our civic, corporate, foundation and in-kind partners in 2012-13. And of course, thank you to each

and every one of our individual donors - YOU! Your support is critical to our mission of eliminating hunger in Arizona.

Anonymous

Arizona Community Foundation

Arizona Community Action Association

Arizona Department of Agriculture

Arizona Department of Corrections

Arizona Department of Economic Security

Arizona Division of Emergency Management

Arizona Public Service

The Arizona Republic & 12 News Season for Sharing

BHHS Legacy Foundation

Biltmore Lions Club

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona

California Association of Food Banks

Can-Do Fund

Central Refrigerated Services

CH Robinson

Change & Innovation Agency

Copenhagen Furniture

Credit Union West

Duncan Family Farms

Feeding America

Feeding America Food Banks

First Fidelity Bank

Food Research & Action Center

Fry’s Food Stores

Gibbs-McCormick, Inc.

Good Source

The Hansjoerg Wyss Foundation

Homelessness & Hunger Collaborative

Hula’s Modern Tiki

Integrated Web Strategy

J.W. Kieckhefer Foundation

LA Foods

LDS Cannery

Lincoln GIVES - John C. Lincoln Health Foundation

Lodestar Foundation

Maricopa County Combined Federal Campaign

Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office

The Martha Jane Youngker Foundation

MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger

McMiles Foundation

MTOWER Information Technology Solutions

Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust

Operation Blessing

Pastoral Care Fund of the Arizona Community Foundation

Pei Wei Asian Diner

Reliable Freight Distributors

ROCKET MEDIA

Safeway

Salt River Project

Sammy’s Transportation

Sandhills Publishing

Sbarro

Shamrock Foods Company

Share Our Strength - Taste of the Nation

Society of St. Vincent de Paul

The Steele Foundation

Valley of the Sun United Way

ValMark Securities

Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust

Wells Fargo

Western Refining

AAFB Fiscal Year 2012-13 Financials: July 1, 2012 - June 30, 2013

Based on financial figures for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2013. Includes comparative totals as of June 30, 2012. Audited by Joel D. Huber, CPA, P.C.

Copies of the 2012-13 AAFB Annual Report, 2012-13 Arizona Statewide Gleaning Project Annual Report, full Financial Statements and our 990 document are available at the AAFB office,

via Guidestar or online at www.azfoodbanks.org.

A - Contributions from Individuals & Foundations:$989,914 - 59.8%

B - Government Grants:$365,092 - 22.1%

C - Service Fees, Interest & Other:$244,869 - 14.8%

D - Membership Dues:$54,230 - 3.3%

Total Support & Revenues:$1,654,105

Contributions support the Arizona Statewide Gleaning Project and statewide efforts for food bank coordination. Service fees are expended on behalf of our member food banks and then reimbursed back to AAFB. Membership

dues come from our five member food banks.

Revenues

Total Expenses

A - Total Program* Expense:$1,348,003 - 83.0%

B - Fundraising:$165,269 - 10.1%

C - Management & General:$112,211 - 6.9%

Total Expenses:$1,623,483

*Program Breakdown: Food Purchases (includes pass-through funds)

$568,643

Arizona Statewide Gleaning Project Operations$510,677

Food Bank Coordination & Advocacy $268,683

1

2

3

BC

A

How Program Expenses Fight Hunger in Arizona

Help Spread the Word about Hunger & Poverty in Arizona

AAFB’s five member food banks distributed 129.5 million pounds of food in 2012-13. This is the equivalent of 107.9 million meals for Arizonans struggling with hunger. Nearly one quarter of the total pounds distributed by AAFB member food banks was coordinated or transported by the Arizona Statewide

Gleaning Project - 29.9 million pounds of food in all, the equivalent of 24.9 million meals.

AAFB’s more than half-million dollars in food purchases secured over 1.6 million pounds of food in 2012-13.

AAFB referred more than 2,000 callers to emergency food resources in their local area. And countless others used our Food Providers Directory at www.azfoodbanks.org to locate resources for food,

drop off donated food or discover volunteer opportunities.

Raise your voice in the fight against hunger and poverty in Arizona!

Almost 1 in 5 individuals, more than 1 in 4 children and more than 1 in 6 seniors live in poverty* and/or struggle with food insecurity** in Arizona.

*Federal Poverty Level was set by the U.S. Census as $23,050 or less annually for family of four in 2012. **Food insecurity data comes from 2012 Feeding America Map the Meal Gap report. Food insecurity is

defined as lacking the ability to access food on a regular basis from normal food channels.

1 in 5 1 in 61 in 4

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3

4

C

B A

D

ARIZONA STATEWIDEGLEANING PROJECTPHOENIX, AZA PROGRAM OF THE

The Latest on the Arizona Statewide Gleaning Project

More Giving Options: Make a Contribution In Honor or Memory of a Loved One, Become a Monthly Donor or Donate Your Stock

Celebrate the holidays, a birthday, or any special occasion by making a contribution in honor or memory of family members, friends, colleagues, or a treasured loved one. Acknowledgements, without dollar amounts, will be sent to your honorees if you wish. Or you may choose to become a monthly donor by having AAFB charge your credit card each month on the 5th or the 20th, a convenient way to keep supporting our work throughout the year.

You can also include AAFB in your will or donate appreciated stock from your investment portfolio as part of a planned giving strategy - the tax benefits can be very valuable. Contact Virginia Skinner for more information.

Remember, returning the enclosed envelope or making a secure online donation at www.azfoodbanks.org today helps us deliver much needed food and services to food banks, and advocate for better resources for families in need.

Let Your Employer Work for You: Employer Matching Gifts

Did you know you may be able to double your gift to AAFB through Matching Gift Programs? Many employers offer to match your gift as a way to encourage their employees, and often their retirees, to support charitable organizations. Ask your human resources office if your company offers a Matching Gift Program today.

Another Great Reason to Give: Receive a TAX CREDIT for Your 2013 Donation - You Do NOT Have to Itemize!

You too can help make a difference this holiday season - and receive a tax credit for your 2013 donation to boot! Under Arizona law (A.R.S. § 43-1088(G)(2), AAFB is recognized as serving the working poor. If you qualify, you could receive a FULL TAX CREDIT, up to $200 (filing as a single unmarried head of household) or $400 (married filing joint return) for donating to AAFB on or before December 31, 2013. See www.azdor.gov for more details, or call 602-255-3381 or 1-800-843-7196 from area codes 520 or 928. Always consult your tax preparer or financial advisor for specific advice.

After January 1, Donate Your Excess Citrus to Your Local Food Bank

The holiday season means it’s almost the beginning of citrus season. As in previous years, Arizona citrus remains under USDA quarantine because of Sweet Orange Scab (a fungus that affects the look of the fruit but doesn’t damage flavor or nutritional quality – learn more at www.citrusresearch.org/sweet-orange-scab). This prohibits us from sharing citrus with food banks out of state. Still, our member food banks are very much interested in receiving your citrus donations (and in some cases, volunteer harvesting support!)

Despite the quarantine, our member food banks have proven resourceful: St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance has built a relationship with local juicer Sun Orchard to juice citrus donations that cannot be distributed or moved out of state. Juicing gives it a much longer shelf life and appeals to many food bank clients who prefer juice to the whole fruit.

As in previous years, after January 1, contact your nearest food bank for details about donating your citrus:

• Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona, Tucson: 520-822-3288 | www.communityfoodbank.org

• Desert Mission Food Bank, Sunnyslope Area: 602-870-6062 | www.jcl.com/foodbank

• St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance, Phoenix & Flagstaff: 602-343-5658 | www.firstfoodbank.org

• United Food Bank, Mesa & East Valley: 480-926-4897 | www.unitedfoodbank.org

• Yuma Community Food Bank, Yuma: 928-343-1243 | www.yumafoodbank.org

• You can also search for the food bank closest to where you live by entering your zip code on our homepage: www.azfoodbanks.org. Always call in advance to make sure they will accept your produce donation.

AAFB Thrives with Committed Individuals!Since 2005 Chuck has generously supported AAFB. He doesn’t remember what first prompted him to contribute but states that feeding people is crucial and any activity that does that is worthwhile. He spent most of his working life in Iowa. He had the volunteer experience of helping out at a food pantry and “observed people who were unfortunate – things didn’t work out for them.” He notes they were not lazy or at fault. He feels he’s been lucky all his life, a “city boy” who later saw the struggles, especially in rural Iowa. The statewide focus of AAFB’s work appeals to him, including our effort to reach rural Arizona. Chuck has lobbied as an employee and a citizen and appreciates the value of that too, but thinks we still need to concentrate on the immediate - getting food to people in need. Chuck says he hasn’t told friends often enough about AAFB, but when he receives this issue of Food Lines he intends to do just that!

Olivia lives in Phoenix and has contributed to AAFB’s success since 2007. As a monthly donor, she is faithfully there to help us get food to our member food banks and in turn, through their partner agencies, to approximately 1,600 sites statewide. She says neither she nor her family have personally had the experience of hunger. She just feels it is right to help other people and that everyone needs help somewhere along the way in life. With her 93 contributions over the years, Olivia has helped bring more than just food, she’s brought encouragement and hope to Arizona families.

Susan and her husband live in Tempe and have been generous supporters of AAFB since 1997. They pledged matching funds for AAFB’s current holiday appeal – doubling other contributors’ dollars. When asked what prompted her support, Susan has clearly thought about it: “Nutrition is important! Government’s not doing enough! AAFB is non- sectarian and focused on Arizona.” While she has not had personal experience with hunger, she thinks AAFB’s work in the immediate, getting food to food banks, and in the longer term, advocating for better policies and programs, are both important. Susan gladly agreed she and her husband would share this issue of Food Lines with friends.

Help us widen our outstanding circle of support. YOU are the best ambassador for AAFB. Let your friends know you support our work and why. And share your thoughts anytime with our director of development, Virginia Skinner, at vskinner@azfoodbanks.org, or give her a call at 602-528-3434 or 800-445-1914.

Our Mission:To deliver food and quality services to food banks

and foster relationships in support of our commitment to eliminate hunger.

Established in 1984, AAFB is a private, non-profit organization serving five-member regional food bank members and a network of nearly 1,600 food pantries and agencies. As one of the first state associations in the nation and an inaugural partner state association

of Feeding America, 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.

The Association of Arizona Food Banks is not a food bank - we help make food banking better.

2013-14 Board of Directors:

Board Chair: Karilee Ramaley, JDSalt River Project

Vice Chair: Karina ErnstsenWells Fargo

Secretary / Treasurer: Jo Ellen SereySerey/Jones Publishers, Inc.

David Armstrong Ballard Spahr, LLP, Law Firm

Angela “Anne” Bellan School & Hospital Administrator (Retired)

Bill CarnegieCommunity Food Bank of Southern Arizona

Beverly B. DamoreSt. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance

Bob EvansUnited Food Bank

Jerome K. Garrison, Sr., Ed.D. South Mountain Community College

Mike IversYuma Community Food Bank

William H. NordWells Fargo, retired

Susan Riedel, MBAModern Woodmen of America

David SchwakeLitchfield Elementary School District

VacantDesert Mission Food Bank

AAFB Staff:

Angie Rodgers President & CEO

Virginia SkinnerDirector of Development

Brian SimpsonDirector of Communications

Sylvia McKeeverGleaning Project Logistics Manager

Carol Aanenson-Thomey Executive Assistant

Sherry Hostler Business Manager

Merari Ornelas Administrative Assistant

Harold Graf Volunteer

AAFB is funded by donations and is partially funded by the Arizona Dept. of Economic Security–Family Assistance Administration. Points of view are those of the author and do not necessarily

represent the official position or policies of the Department. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, AAFB must make reasonable accommodation to allow a person with a disability to take part in a program, service, or activity. For example, this means that if necessary, the AAFB must provide sign language interpreters for

people who are deaf, a wheelchair accessible location, or enlarged print materials. It also means that the AAFB will take any other

reasonable action that allows you to take part in and understand a program or activity, including making reasonable changes to an activity. If you believe that you will not be able to understand or

take part in a program or activity because of your disability, please let us know of your disability needs in advance if at all possible.

Please contact AAFB at 602-528-3434.

Get Food Lines in Your Inbox:Help us save costs by receiving FOOD LINES in your inbox. Saving on printing and postage costs allows

us to direct more resources toward our mission! Email brian@azfoodbanks.org to receive future issues of

FOOD LINES in your inbox.

FOOD LINES is published quarterly by the Association of Arizona Food Banks. It is published in October,

December, March, and May. Send correspondence to:

Association of Arizona Food Banks2100 N. Central Avenue, Suite 230

Phoenix, AZ 85004-1400

Contributing writers and editors: Angie Rodgers, Brian Simpson, Virginia Skinner, Sherry Hostler,

Merari Ornelas

Design & Layout: Brian Simpson

Printing: Epic Print Solutions - Phoenix, AZ

Stay Connected with AAFB: Join the Advocacy Team: Stay current on state and

federal activities by sending an email with “Subscribe to the AAFB Advocacy Team” in the subject line to

brian@azfoodbanks.org.

Bi-Weekly Email Blast: Subscribe to the bi-weekly AAFB Email Newsletter by emailing Brian Simpson at

brian@azfoodbanks.org.

: www.twitter.com/aafb

: www.facebook.com/azfoodbanks

AAFB Member Food Banks Collectively Serve

All 15 Arizona Counties: Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona

www.communityfoodbank.org | 520.622.0525

Desert Mission Food Bankwww.jcl.com/foodbank | 602.870.6062

St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliancewww.firstfoodbank.org | 602.242.3663

United Food Bankwww.unitedfoodbank.org | 480.926.4897

Yuma Community Food Bankwww.yumafoodbank.org | 928.343.1243

Additional Resources:Arizona Self Help - resource pre-screening tool

www.arizonaselfhelp.org

Health-e-Arizona - online SNAP (Food Stamp) application

www.healthearizona.org

Arizona 2-1-1 www.211arizona.org

Valley of the Sun United Waywww.vsuw.org

Arizona Department of Economic Security www.azdes.gov