Food bank demand soars amid government shutdown

Communities coming together to help Arizonans missing SNAP benefits

Valley residents, nonprofits and businesses are coming together to support the nearly one million Arizonans who depend on SNAP benefits. FOX 10's Taylor Wirtz has more on the massive turnout at a Mesa food drive.

MESA, Ariz. - With the government shutdown leaving more and more people wondering how they’re going to put food on the table, many are turning to food banks.

By the numbers:

At a food distribution at Streets of Joy in Mesa, there was an empty parking lot, as organizers said the turnout was so large they ran out of food hours early.

Streets of Joy normally hands out food every Saturday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. For the past few years, organizers said they typically hand out between 125 and 150 boxes. 

Now, they said demand is up to at least 350 to 400 boxes. 

Local perspective:

Although Saturday’s distribution was supposed to last until 4 p.m., the organization had run out of food by 2:15 p.m. They said demand is just that high, and as a small, family-run food pantry, they don’t get the donations to keep up with it like some of the bigger food banks do.

"Wednesday of this week, we turned away probably close to 80 cars. And today we turned away, you know, probably close to 80 cars. And the demand has increased tremendously. 80% of the people who came this week were people we had never seen before, you know, never seen them," said Eric Jenkins, Founder of Streets of Joy.

Jenkins said he can tell by the amount of new faces waiting in line that so many more people are in need right now. One of the silver linings though, he said, a couple of families did bring in donations today, which fed at least 12 more people. 

What you can do:

Donations can be dropped off any time at their headquarters on East Fourth Place.