St. Mary's Food Bank braces for increased demand after SNAP cuts

St. Mary's Food Bank urges support as demand climbs

St. Mary's Food Bank is experiencing record demand for food assistance and is preparing for further increases after the recent passage of President Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," which includes cuts to SNAP. FOX 10's Dominique Newland has more.

PHOENIX - St. Mary's Food Bank is experiencing record demand for food assistance and is preparing for further increases after the recent passage of President Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," which includes cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

What we know:

Jerry Brown with St. Mary's Food Bank said the organization is distributing more food boxes than ever in its 58-year history.

"We're bracing for those changes; we know that we're going to see more people, it's just a question of how many," Brown said. "We know we're going to see more, so we're doing a lot of planning at the food bank to see how we can stretch what we have and how we can try to mind different sources to meet that need."

The new law's cuts to social safety net programs like SNAP could force more families to rely on food banks. Brown anticipates a significant impact on rural areas, especially concerning Medicaid cuts.

"When they do take effect, all of these agency partners that depend on us for most of the food that they distribute, they're all going to see increases, and we're going to have to try to meet that need," he added.

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What you can do:

St. Mary's currently assists 10,000 families weekly, a number officials expect to rise. They expressed gratitude to volunteers and donors, noting that a $1 donation provides five meals to the community.

"If you have the ability to help us, whether it's food, whether it's time, whether it's money, go to stmarysfoodbank.org. A $1 donation provides 5 meals to the community, and we could also use helping hands like the ones behind me to build all of these boxes," Brown said.

St. Mary's Food Bank, which serves meals six days a week, stated they are ready to welcome and assist any neighbors in need, upholding their mission to keep Valley residents fed.