Mobile Meals of Southern Arizona merges with Community Food Bank to expand services and feed community

For Tucson seniors and residents with disabilities who depend on meals delivered to their homes, the merger of Mobile Meals of Southern Arizona with the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona is intended to strengthen a service that has become increasingly important. Mobile Meals has delivered more than 90,000 meals this year, a 53 percent increase from last year, as food insecurity grows and many people face difficulty shopping, cooking, or stretching their grocery budgets. The merger is scheduled to begin Oct. 1, and officials say clients should not experience an interruption in service.

Mobile Meals has served the Tucson area since it began in 1968. Its primary work is preparing and delivering meals to seniors and people living with disabilities, including residents who cannot easily leave their homes or prepare food independently. The organization currently serves more than 700 clients through 29 delivery routes. About 200 volunteers handle most of the distribution, while nine kitchen employees prepare more than 90,000 meals each year.

The growing demand comes as households contend with broader economic pressure and reductions in food assistance. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has reported recent cuts to SNAP benefits, and Mobile Meals volunteers say they are seeing the consequences locally. Scott Schwartz, a volunteer and delivery driver, said home delivery is essential for people who are not mobile. He said the need has become more urgent as food and other assistance programs face cutbacks nationwide and in Tucson.

For clients, the deliveries can mean the difference between having reliable food and facing an immediate crisis. Pat Lukas said a disability left him unable to prepare food every night, creating what he described as a desperate need for food security. The meals provided by Mobile Meals are simple to prepare, he said, comparing the experience to heating up leftovers made by a parent. That convenience is especially important for people whose disabilities, age, or limited mobility make grocery shopping and cooking difficult.

Mobile Meals officials said the decision to join the food bank was driven by long-term operational and financial sustainability, rather than an immediate emergency. L’Don Sawyer, the organization’s chief executive, described Mobile Meals as a very lean operation. With only nine kitchen employees, the organization has little backup capacity when someone is sick or unavailable. Bringing Mobile Meals into the larger food bank is expected to give it access to additional operational support, facilities, human resources, bookkeeping, accounting, and other financial functions.

The Community Food Bank’s existing kitchen infrastructure was a major reason it was viewed as a suitable partner. Its broader organizational structure is also expected to help Mobile Meals manage funding and partnerships more efficiently. Sio Castillo, the food bank’s chief development officer, said smaller nonprofits can face financing challenges, while the food bank has a more varied funding base that includes government grants, private foundations, and individual donors. The merger will allow the food bank to absorb some of Mobile Meals’ existing partnerships while supporting the meal program’s daily work.

The situation reflects challenges confronting other local social service programs. Catholic Community Services’ congregate meal program closed, illustrating how smaller nonprofits can be affected when state and grant funding declines. That support became more limited after the pandemic, according to officials. Against that backdrop, the merger is designed to give Mobile Meals a more stable foundation while preserving a program that many Tucson residents already rely on.

The food bank is expected to provide resources for both the Mobile Meals kitchen and its delivery operation. Officials said service will continue as usual for at least the next year, with no planned interruption when the merger begins Oct. 1. In the future, the partnership could expand operations by providing access to the Community Food Bank’s larger volunteer pool. That could help the program respond to rising demand while maintaining delivery routes for clients who cannot travel to obtain food.

Community Food Bank CEO Natalie Jayroe said families, seniors, and children are increasingly struggling to meet basic expenses. She emphasized the importance of helping older residents remain in their homes after working throughout their lives. For Tucson residents receiving Mobile Meals, the merger means the familiar service is expected to continue, but with the staffing, facilities, fundraising capacity, and volunteer support of a larger organization behind it. As more households lose ground financially, local officials say that added capacity is needed to keep food reaching people at home.