Community Food Bank to start home delivery for seniors with state funding

TUCSON, Ariz. (KOLD News 13) - State funding will help the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona launch a new service to help seniors in Pima County.

Governor Doug Ducey announced more than $1.6 million in funding Thursday, Oct. 29, to expand assistance to Arizona food banks, helping them reach more families and seniors in need. The funding will enable food banks around the state to make more food home-deliveries to seniors and make more fresh produce and items available.

For the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona, more than half a million dollars will continue to help seniors who may be worried about heading out of their homes for assistance during the pandemic.

“We’re seeing about 20-percent of the folks who would normally serve, seniors, who would normally come to the food bank are not coming. We suspect it’s because of health concerns and social distancing so we asked the governor if we could get some financial support to pay for that home delivered meal,” said Michael McDonald, CEO of the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona.

“We’ve got about 9,700 seniors in five counties, 20-percent of whom have not been showing up. So we want to get that food to seniors in as many counties as the governor will allow," said McDonald.

According to the Governor’s Office, the Community Food Bank will receive $525,000 to enhance its home-delivery model to reach 2,000 more seniors in Pima County and continue delivering fresh produce to residential senior living facilities.

“With these news funds from the Governor’s Office, which we hope will come into Southern Arizona before the holiday season, that we can start to deliver good food to good seniors who are just waiting for some assistance and are very socially isolated," said McDonald.

McDonald said they are still waiting on final details to determine how they will move forward with the plans.

If you would like to donate or volunteer with the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona, click here.

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