St. Anne Friends of the Needy - Food Bank

05/23/2026

As summer begins and school lets out, we know this season can become difficult for many families trying to keep enough food on the table for children and grandchildren at home throughout the day.

At St. Anne Friends of the Needy Food Bank in Gilbert, we want our community to know that help is available.

Some schools and community centers may also be offering free summer meals for children, but for families needing groceries at home, we are here to help as well.

We provide free emergency food boxes Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday from 8AM–11AM on a first come, first served basis.

Our food boxes include rescued food from local stores: fresh produce, dairy, bread, pantry staples, frozen foods, snacks, and meats. Most boxes weigh around 30–40 pounds, and families may receive one box every 7 days.

📍14 N. Cottonwood Dr. Gilbert, AZ 85234
(Gilbert & Elliot)

Please bring a picture ID and a recent bill showing your current address.

Our volunteers continue building food boxes throughout the morning as rescued groceries arrive daily from local stores.

If you would like to volunteer or support our ministry, please visit our website for more information:

“For I was hungry and you gave me food.” — Matthew 25:35

05/22/2026

St. Anne Friends of the Needy Ministry Update

We are grateful to share that St. Anne Friends of the Needy was recently featured in the Gilbert Catholic Magazine! It was a blessing to highlight the incredible generosity of our parish community and the growth of this ministry over the years.

What began as a small parish effort has grown into one of the busiest food banks in the East Valley, now serving nearly 1,500 households each month through emergency food assistance, rescued groceries, food sorting, and outreach to families throughout the East Valley.

Every week, thousands of pounds of rescued food are sorted and distributed by our volunteers, including fresh produce, meat, dairy, bread, pantry staples, and other groceries that help feed local families with dignity.

We are also incredibly grateful to share that St. Anne Friends of the Needy was awarded the 2026 CRS Rice Bowl Grant in the amount of $5,000 through the Diocese. These funds will help provide staple foods such as rice and beans to families experiencing food insecurity in our community.

In addition, the Town of Gilbert has once again awarded St. Anne Friends of the Needy a $20,000 grant to support our ongoing vocational and community engagement work with students from the Gilbert School District who are on the autism spectrum and participate in our weekly job training and volunteer program.

For the past six years, we have maintained a weekly Wednesday volunteer shift where students participate in hands-on service opportunities at the food bank. Through sorting food, organizing donations, packaging staple items such as rice and beans, and assisting with day-to-day operations, students are able to actively participate in serving the community and helping feed families in need.

This grant will help us better equip our facility with tools, equipment, workstations, and staple food items that allow students to continue participating in meaningful service opportunities while building confidence, life skills, and community involvement.

As the ministry continues to grow, so does our need for organization, safety, and infrastructure. Recently, several volunteers participated in OSHA forklift safety and certification training to help us safely manage the increasing amount of food coming through the food bank each week.

As part of our continued growth, we are now moving into Phase 3 of our facility development plans; a major improvement project focused on connecting our existing buildings and creating a more functional and efficient ministry space. Our hope is to transform the center area between our buildings into a covered and partially enclosed loading and distribution space that could include:

• A large covered canopy structure with commercial roll-up doors
• Safer and more efficient loading, unloading, and food distribution space
• Improved airflow, cooling, and infrastructure upgrades for Arizona summers
• Expanded operational space for volunteers and ministry operations

This project would help protect volunteers, rescued food, and operational supplies from the extreme heat while improving safety, efficiency, and long-term sustainability for the ministry.

At this stage, we are still exploring design ideas, permits, engineering requirements, and fundraising possibilities. Preliminary estimates suggest a project of this scale could cost anywhere from approximately $20,000 to over $50,000 depending on final design and construction needs.

One of the greatest ways parishioners can help sustain this ministry is through recurring monthly giving.

Many people think donations only go toward purchasing food, but recurring support also helps cover the operational costs that make food distribution possible; including fuel for grocery rescue pickups, refrigeration, insurance, electrical costs, equipment maintenance, and facility improvements.

Every dollar truly helps us rescue more food and serve more families.

Even small recurring gifts can make a lasting impact:
• $10/month helps support transportation and grocery rescue pickups
• $25/month helps offset refrigeration and utility costs
• $50/month helps support weekly food distribution operations
• $100/month helps sustain long-term ministry growth and expansion

And while recurring monthly support provides long-term stability for the ministry, one-time donations are also deeply appreciated and make an immediate difference in helping us feed families, sustain daily operations, and continue serving those in need throughout our community.

Beyond financial support, volunteers remain at the heart of this ministry. Every food box packed, grocery rescue pickup completed, and family served is made possible because parishioners continue to generously give their time in service to others.

We are currently in need of volunteer drivers to help pick up rescued food donations from local grocery stores. Driver shifts are available between 6:00 AM and 10:00 AM, with most routes able to be completed in about an hour. Volunteers should be able to lift up to approximately 60 pounds, and some pickups must be completed at scheduled times each morning.

These grocery rescue pickups are a vital corporal work of mercy, helping ensure that families facing food insecurity receive nourishing food while preventing good food from going to waste.

We invite anyone interested in volunteering to come serve with us. Whether helping sort food, distribute boxes, assist with grocery rescue pickups, or support ministry operations, volunteers are an essential part of what makes this mission possible.

Please inquire for more information, or visit our newly developed website or our volunteer SignUpGenius page to learn more about opportunities to serve.

Thank you again for your prayers, generosity, and continued support of St. Anne Friends of the Needy.

God bless,

John Caballero
Director
St. Anne Friends of the Needy

Donate: https://giving.parishsoft.com/App/Form/ac7e582c-e5a2-4104-aa50-38f5ed896ac4

Volunteer: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0F4FAFA729A0F58-stanne #/

Website: https://stannefon.com

Flocknote: https://stanneaz.flocknote.com/StAnneFON

“For I was hungry and you gave me food.” — Matthew 25:35

02/20/2026

Gilbert City-Wide Food Drive This Weekend

St. Anne Friends of the Needy continues to witness God’s providence through the generosity of this incredible community.

Although we remain a small, parish-based food bank, the scale of food moving through this ministry each week is truly remarkable.

🥫 19,000–20,000 pounds of food received every week
📦 Nearly 80,000 pounds of food each month
🚚 Grocery rescue pickups 7 days a week
🙏 Volunteers sustaining this work with dedication and compassion

Behind every pound of rescued and donated food is a volunteer driver, a sorting team, and a family who will receive groceries with dignity.

We were recently blessed with a refrigerated trailer, allowing us to better preserve rescued food, reduce waste, and protect the quality of groceries shared with families in need.

During the holidays, your generosity made an extraordinary impact:

Thanksgiving:
Around 700 turkeys distributed
⚖️ Approximately 9,000 pounds of food shared

Christmas:
Around 200 hams & 200 turkeys distributed
⚖️ More than 4,500 pounds of protein provided

One family recently shared this Google Review:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“St. Anne’s Friends of the Needy is such an amazing and generous organization. Being able to receive food during these tough times has been such a gift. My family and I would have never survived without their support.”

As we enter the holy season of Lent, many of us look for ways to live out prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Supporting families experiencing food insecurity is a meaningful way to do so.

📍 Town of Gilbert City-Wide Food Drive
🗓 Saturday & Sunday, Feb 21 & 22
⏰ 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
📦 14 N. Cottonwood Drive, Gilbert, AZ 85234

Requested donation items:

• Pasta & sauces
• Rice & beans
• Canned meats
• Canned fruits & vegetables
• Peanut butter, Jam / jelly
• Cereals

Additional ongoing needs at our food bank:
• Diapers Sizes 4, 5, 6
• Baby wipes
• Baby food / Baby formula

If you are cleaning out your pantry, please consider donating non-expired items.

Every bag of groceries becomes an act of mercy for a local family.

We are deeply grateful for your generosity, your prayers, and your continued support of this ministry. Your kindness allows us to serve families with dignity and to live out Christ’s call to care for those in need.

Gratefully,

John Caballero
Director

👉 Learn more / volunteer / Give:
https://stannefon.com/

07/16/2025

Your generosity makes a difference!

These are the items we need most right now to help us care for families in need. Whether it’s a jar of peanut butter, a bag of rice, or a pack of diapers, every donation helps us serve our community with compassion and dignity.

Thank you for supporting our mission to fight hunger and provide essentials - one family at a time.

Donations can be dropped off at our facility during pantry hours: Monday - Saturday, 8am to 12 noon.
📍 14 N. Cottonwood Dr., Gilbert, AZ 85234.

Interested in hosting a food or diaper drive? Please send us a DM, we’d love to partner with you!

07/16/2025

“For I was hungry and you gave me food”— Matthew 25:35

As a Catholic ministry rooted in the Gospel and the corporal works of mercy, we are here to feed the hungry and serve with the love of Christ.

If you or someone you know is in need of food assistance, we’re here to help.

Emergency food boxes are available once every seven days per household. See the graphic for distribution times.

No zip code restrictions. All are welcome. Please bring a photo ID.

⸻

“Porque tuve hambre y me dieron de comer” — Mateo 25:35

Como un ministerio católico, fundado en el Evangelio y en las obras de misericordia corporales, estamos aquí para dar de comer al hambriento y servir con el amor de Cristo.

Si usted o alguien que conoce necesita asistencia alimentaria, estamos aquí para ayudar.

Las cajas de comida de emergencia están disponibles una vez cada siete días por familia.
Vea el gráfico para los horarios de distribución.
Por favor traiga una identificación con foto.

No hay restricciones por código postal. Todos son bienvenidos.