50 Years of Impact: Our Resource Centers
Cornerstones of the Community.
This year, the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona proudly celebrates its 50th anniversary. What began in 1976 as a small, volunteer‑powered effort has grown into a regional lifeline across five counties. At the heart of this work are our locations in Tucson, Amado, Green Valley, Willcox, and Nogales. Each one represents our long‑standing commitment to meeting people where they are and ensuring that everyone in Southern Arizona has access to nutritious food and supportive services.
This month, we invite you to help your local community by supporting your local resource center.
Tucson: Our Main Warehouse.
In 1996, we moved our headquarters to 3003 S. Country Club Road, an ambitious step that reflected both the growing needs of our community and our expanding vision for the future. The new facility, named the Punch Woods Multi‑Service Center in honor of our forward‑thinking CEO, marked a turning point in our history. What some saw as a risky leap, Punch Woods recognized as an essential investment: a chance to evolve from a traditional hunger‑relief organization into a multifaceted force for hunger and poverty prevention.
Today, the Country Club location stands as our largest and most comprehensive resource center, a genuine community hub where thousands of families receive emergency food boxes, fresh produce, and pantry staples each week. Yet its impact extends far beyond food distribution.
Country Club has evolved into the community hub Woods envisioned, home to numerous programs including nutrition education, a thriving community garden, benefits assistance, and countless volunteer opportunities that bring people together in service. As we celebrate 50 years of impact, this center continues to power our regional network, ensuring that support reaches every corner of Southern Arizona.
In 2011, we renamed the center the Gabrielle Giffords Resource Center (GGRC), honoring the former Congresswoman and longtime supporter of our mission.
The GGRC is open Tuesday through Friday, and on the fourth Saturday of each month.
Amado: The Heart of the Corridor.
The story of the Amado Resource Center (ARC) goes back to 1988, when three local residents started distributing food out of a 19th century structure that was little more than a horse stall. The ARC moved to its current location on Old Nogales Highway in 2002 and today, it has become a steady, welcoming presence for neighbors in mostly rural areas up and down the I-19 corridor and as far west as Arivaca.
Our team there, including many long-time volunteers, builds deep relationships with neighbors, offering not only food but also connection, compassion, and stability. Amado may be a small community, but its bonds are strong.
Open every Thursday, the ARC serves between 1200 and 1500 individuals every month with emergency food.
Green Valley: A Stronghold for Seniors.
Right around the same time food began to be distributed in Amado, we started distributing food in Green Valley through the support of the local church. As the need in the area continued to grow, a distribution center was built in 1983. In 1998, reflecting increasing demand from the rapidly growing Sahuarita area, our Green Valley Resource Center (GVRC) moved to its current location on Continental Road.
Today, our Green Valley Resource Center serves a unique, and increasingly diverse population with 60% of our neighbors served over the age of 60. With limited resources already stretched thin, many of these seniors rely on the center for fresh produce and nutritious foods that support their long‑term health and independence.
The GVRC is open every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
Nogales: The Backbone of a Border Town.
Incorporated into CFB in 2010, the Nogales Resource Center (NRC) is a true community center. The center is our second largest food distribution site serving over 10,000 neighbors across Santa Cruz County every month.
In addition to food assistance, the NRC offers wide range of community-centered programs to bring people together and strengthen the community. From arts and crafts workshops and sewing circles, to basic computer and excel classes, food dehydration workshops and more, the center serves as a true community center, reflecting the unique culture and spirit of this vibrant border town.
The Nogales Resource Center is open Tuesday through Friday, and on the first Saturday of each month.
Willcox: Anchoring the Work.
How does our mobile distribution program get food to 18 different rural sites across Southern Arizona every month? It starts with a dedicated distribution center powering everything we do.
Our Willcox Distribution Center opened in 2015 to help us expand our reach into rural communities specifically in Southeast Arizona. The 8,000 square foot warehouse serves as a critical staging point, storing essential food supplies and supporting the logistics that keep our mobile distributions running smoothly.
Simply put, we couldn’t support our neighbors in rural communities without it. The Willcox center ensures that families in some of the most remote parts of our region receive the nutritious food they rely on, month after month, mile after mile.
Honoring the Past, Building the Future.
A lot has changed over the last 50 years, but these resource centers, each in its own way, have helped shape a stronger, healthier Southern Arizona. They honor our history while continuing to build the future of the Community Food Bank. And together, with the support of neighbors like you, they will continue to serve as cornerstones of their communities for decades to come.