Myth: Hunger happens somewhere else—it doesn’t exist near me.

Hunger may be closer than you think. According to Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap, hunger exists in every single county and congressional district in the United States—including yours. In fact, rates of hunger in Arizona are significantly higher than the national average. Hunger isn’t always obvious—but it exists all around us.

Myth: It couldn’t happen to me.

Hunger doesn’t discriminate. Many of our clients never thought they’d be standing in line at a food bank. All it takes is a car problem that drains the bank account, a job loss in a bad economy, a health crisis that makes it impossible to work. No one is immune to hunger.

Myth: People who are hungry can just get Food Stamps.

Over 33% of food insecure families and individuals in Arizona live above the poverty income levels set by the Federal Government. That means that families struggle to afford food, but don’t qualify for SNAP benefits (formerly known as Food Stamps). In addition, SNAP benefits aren’t always enough. The average SNAP benefits for one person are about $126 per month, which works out to about $1.40 per meal. Could you live on $4 a day?

Myth: There’s just not enough food for everyone.

Approximately 40% of food in the United States goes to waste. That’s the equivalent of $165 billion each year—and more than enough to feed every hungry person in the country. Food is not scarce—it simply isn’t making it to the people who need it most.

Myth: The solution to hunger is handing out food.

Emergency hunger relief is crucial, and we do all we can to get food into the hands of those who need it. But solving hunger is more complex than this. We’re committed to solving hunger at its root by providing job training programs, opportunities for civic engagement, and community education; supporting our local food economy; advocating for food justice, and more.