Scottsdale Food Bank races to rescue fresh food as need grows

SCOTTSDALE, AZ (AZFamily) — The national uncertainty is being felt at food banks across the country, including here in the Valley. The Scottsdale Food Bank is doing what it can to keep food on the table for struggling families, but it’s facing its own logistical roadblocks when it comes to collecting and transporting fresh groceries.

The organization recently added a new box truck to its fleet to help rescue food from local grocery stores. But one major issue is that the truck doesn’t have refrigeration.

“Especially in Arizona, you can’t really do a food bank truck without refrigeration,” said Jonathan Montoya, the Scottsdale Food Bank Supervisor.

Without cooling, staff say they can only make limited pickups before food begins to spoil in the heat, often forcing multiple trips a day to ensure perishable donations remain safe.

“There’s only a certain limit of distance we can go to pick up those fresh items to make sure the food remains safe,” Scottsdale human services manager Sue Oh explained.

Friday, local organizations stepped in with donations aimed at helping the food bank purchase a refrigerated unit for the new truck.

“It helps us conserve funds from grants so we can actually buy what we need,” Montoya said.

The help couldn’t come at a more critical moment. While Arizona SNAP benefits were approved for November, food banks could still see a surge in need.

“We normally have a one- to two-day wait to get someone in for food,” Oh said. “Unfortunately, we’re now at a two-week wait time. We’re serving about 120 families per week.”

For families in Scottsdale, that makes the food bank a lifeline, and a refrigerated truck much more than just a vehicle.

“It would let us stay on the road longer, we wouldn’t have to rush back with frozen items, and it would allow us to pick up from more stores throughout the day,” the staff said.

Arizona food banks say they’ll keep doing what they can to bridge the gap, one truckload at a time.

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