Beefing Up Food Banks: Providing Protein Options for Arizonans

Lauren Maehling, executive director | October 29, 2024

ABC staff Lauren Maehling and Tiffany Selchow, St. Mary's Food Bank's John Drake and Heather Macomber, ABC Chairman Arie Van Hofwegen and wife Shayla.

Arizona Beef Council’s third “Beef Up Arizona” campaign raised $2,374, providing 11,870 meals, for St. Mary’s Food Bank to provide high-quality protein to Arizonans in need. Arizona’s ranching landscape served as the real-life inspiration for the colorful “Beef Up Arizona” t-shirt design. Popular clothing apparel company, State Forty Eight, gives back to their community by helping local businesses and non-profits show their local pride.

The campaign highlighted the importance of beef in a healthy diet while supporting efforts to address food insecurity in the state. “The donation comes at a critical time of the year, when donations of protein are down,” shared St. Mary’s Food Bank’s Corporate Giving Officer John Drake. “The donation helps us provide nutritious meals to our hungry neighbors in need.”  

Providing more than 10 essential nutrients including protein, iron, zinc and B vitamins, beef is an important part of a healthful and nourishing diet. A nutrient-dense food, beef packs a lot of nutrition in each bite. For example, almost half of one’s daily protein requirements can be fulfilled in one 3-ounce serving of beef.

Distributing nearly 250,000 meals a day, St. Mary’s Food Bank supplies food to more than 700 partner agencies. Two million Arizonans are faced with food insecurity every year, and 1 in 5 children grow up food insecure (source: Feeding America). St. Mary’s has been distributing food at record levels since 2020 – more than 10 million pounds of food per month to meet the increased need in the community. The food bank’s wide reach and efficiencies allow every dollar donated to provide 5 meals.  

“As inflation continues to affect food budgets, we wanted to provide some relief to families who are struggling,” shared ABC Chairman Arie Van Hofwegen, dairy farmer. “When you take a tour or volunteer at St. Mary’s, you immediately see how they stretch a dollar to feed as many people as possible. While they strive to meet an individual’s immediate need of hunger today, St. Mary’s then provides steps for individuals to elevate themselves out of hunger through career training programs. Arizona is blessed to have St. Mary’s here in the valley, and it’s an honor to partner with them.”      

Since the program’s inception, the Arizona Beef Community has delivered 64,000 servings of beef to food banks across Arizona, including 11,870 beef meals this year.