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Phoenix food pantry lets people get free groceries
A Maricopa County school district is fighting food insecurity. The Wilson School District lets families shop for free groceries twice a month, and FOX 10 has the details.
PHOENIX - Approximately 47.9 million people in the United States live in food-insecure households, and in Arizona, there are roughly 1.13 million people who face food insecurity, which translates to about one in seven residents.
This total includes roughly 327,000 children, or one in five kids, who lack consistent access to adequate and affordable food. A local school district is working to change that, not by dropping off a food box, but by letting residents shop for what they need.
Local perspective:
"Yogurt, regular chocolate milk, chocolate milk yes," one shopper noted while browsing.
Not all decisions are difficult, but having the ability to choose is important to most people.
"He drinks that one, can we get that one," another individual asked.
Groceries are high up on that list, especially for Darryl and Veronica Davis. When asked, "How helpful is this to you as a mom?" Veronica Davis responded, "Oh its very helpful because I have five kids, two of them are teenagers, they just always want to eat, eat cause they are in sports as well."
Once a month, the couple walks down the aisle of this very special grocery store and they get to pick and choose what their family wants and needs.
"She works, I work, we're just trying to make it," Darryl Davis said. "She works in Chandler, I work in Scottsdale, so just making it to work alone, like gas prices and everything is kind of harsh, but we make it work."
During a tour of the facility, an interviewer asked, "This is all fresh produce, where did it come from?"
"All from Saint Mary's, Midwest Food Bank," answered Dina Culter.
Dina Culter is the community development director for Wilson School District where a client choice food pantry opens twice a month. From produce to dairy to staples, Culter says it's not a hand out but a hand up.
"Different from food pantries, our families get to go shopping," Culter said. "So instead of us making a food box for our families, they get to choose what their family needs, wants and needs, it gives them that dignity."
On day one of the 2026-27 school year, 65 families were in line hours early.
"Families started lining up at 7:30 and we don't open until 9 o'clock so it just shows the need here is just so great even in this community," Culter said.
The Wilson School District is 100% Title One, so all of the families here are at or below the poverty line. But here's the thing, the food pantry is open to anyone in Maricopa County who needs it.
"For me this like fills my soul every time we have this on Wednesdays, it just fills my sole," Culter said. "I'm so honored that I get to serve this community the way that I do. I've been doing it for 30 years in different roles and for me this is the ultimate job for me."
"Cereals, ramen, things they can cook on their own, hamburgers, I try to do like a family time night time for sure, we cook and we all get together," Darryl Davis added.
The food the Davises get here lasts at least a week, a little bit of security in these insecure times.
"Just thankful that they do this for the community," Veronica Davis said.
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from Darryl Davis, an affected resident; Veronica Davis, an affected resident; and Dina Culter, community development director for Wilson School District.