MESA — United Food Bank is planning a major expansion of its Mesa warehouse after running out of room to keep up with growing need across the Valley, ABC15 reported.
CEO Jason Reed said donations are arriving so fast that some shelf-stable items are being kept in trucks parked outside. The expansion would add freezer and cooler space so the food bank can handle more fresh produce and other perishable food.
Reed said demand for the food bank’s services has climbed 61% during his three years in charge, driven by rising living costs. Families who get food help, he said, are often able to put that money toward rent.
United Food Bank also supplies partner agencies such as Paz de Cristo Community Center in Mesa, which serves daily meals to about 200 people and runs a food box program. Paz de Cristo estimates about 500,000 people in Maricopa County face food insecurity.
There is no construction timeline yet. Reed said the food bank is working with the city of Mesa on permits and expects the project to take about two years once work starts.
Sources: ABC15. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: United States Senate – The Office of Mazie Hirono / Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
