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

For Tucson residents who want to help neighbors put Thanksgiving food on the table, the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona is asking for donations on Thursday, Nov. 12. The Holiday Harvest Food and Fund Drive will run from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Bashas’, 2000 W. River Road. Organizers hope to collect 8,000 pounds of nonperishable food and $40,000 in financial contributions as the food bank prepares for one of its busiest periods of the year. Tucson Electric Power and Lotus Radio are supporting the event, with TEP matching donations up to $20,000.

The need is rising even as monetary giving has fallen compared with this point last year. Norma Cable, the food bank’s director of communications, said the organization is serving about 18% more people than during the same period last year. Higher prices for groceries and gasoline are contributing to the pressure, along with reductions in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, commonly called SNAP. Changes to eligibility and work requirements have made it harder for some Arizona residents to continue receiving food assistance.

The food bank expects to serve about 1,000 people on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, traditionally its busiest distribution day. To handle the surge, it plans to bring in employees from other departments, recruit additional volunteers and assign workers to manage parking lot traffic. The organization is also seeking volunteers to pack and distribute emergency food boxes at its location at 3003 S. Country Club Road. Donations can help cover both the food itself and the increasing cost of moving supplies across Southern Arizona.

The reduction in SNAP access is affecting families beyond what they can spend at the grocery store. Joseph Palomino, director of the Arizona Center for Economic Progress, said federal legislation enacted in 2025 expanded work requirements for some SNAP recipients and removed exemptions that had applied to veterans, people experiencing homelessness and young adults leaving foster care. His organization found that SNAP enrollment among children in Pima County fell about 45% between July 2025 and September 2026. The statewide decline was also about 45%, and Palomino said the similar pattern across counties suggests the change is being felt throughout Arizona.

SNAP benefits also allow households to use other income for rent, health care, fuel and other necessities. Palomino said families were already struggling to get by with the assistance they had, and losing those benefits forces difficult choices. The food bank has two staff members helping people with SNAP applications and questions, and Cable said requests for that assistance rose significantly beginning in October 2025. She also emphasized that a visit to a food bank once a month cannot replace the flexibility of a monthly SNAP benefit, which allows people to shop for food suited to their household’s needs and dietary requirements.

The Nov. 12 drive is part of a broader local response. The food bank’s fundraising target is higher than last year’s event, which brought in 6,842 pounds of food and $36,000. Tucson businesses, restaurants, mutual aid groups and residents have also organized direct assistance for people losing SNAP benefits or dealing with food insecurity. Availability and eligibility vary, so residents are encouraged to confirm details with each organization before traveling.

Among the efforts listed locally are free or discounted meals and groceries. Ceres, at 77 W. Washington St., and Noodies, at 1730 E. Speedway, have offered uncooked short-cut pasta to people losing SNAP benefits. Holy Focaccia has provided loaves for pickup at Brick Box Brewery, while SNACK at The Boxyard has offered daily sack lunches to people showing an EBT card. Saffron Indian Bistro has offered free buffet lunch boxes, and Just Kabab has distributed frozen meals. Other participating businesses include Houlden’s Rise Above, Wild West Meat Markets, Hotdogs 501, Kneller’s Delicatessen and the partnership of Brick Box Brewery, Katsu House and Miss Fire Bites. Several of these offers are limited by date, supply or proof of need.

Other groups are collecting food, money and household necessities. Presta Coffee Roasters has hosted a Community Food Bank drive at its three locations through Nov. 18. Shaolin Kung Fu Academy and Girl Power are collecting donations through Nov. 22, while the 4th Ave Coalition has temporarily converted its lending library at 311 E. Seventh Street into a neighborhood pantry for nonperishable items. Casa Maria Soup Kitchen, at 352 E. 25th Street, recently served 540 lunches in one Thursday and is seeking volunteers, food, resources and pet food. Mutual aid groups including Muna Food AZ, Community Care Tucson, Food Not Bombs and BCC Tucson have created the Tucson Grocery Connection, where residents can list needs and coordinate help directly.

Food assistance also extends beyond people. The Humane Society of Southern Arizona, Pima Animal Care Center, the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation and other groups offer pet food or supplies, while several established pantries and resource centers serve communities across Tucson and Southern Arizona. The Community Food Bank says anyone who needs food is welcome, and Cable described access to healthy food as a human right. For residents able to help, bringing nonperishable items to the Nov. 12 drive, making a monetary donation or volunteering can support families facing higher costs and reduced benefits during the Thanksgiving season.