Dear Parishioners,
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
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
Early vision sketch from the top/front of the building showing a possible future metal canopy and commercial roll-up door addition. The sketch is intended to help visualize general ideas for the space and does not fully represent the final size, layout, or enclosure of the proposed structure.
Volunteers participating in OSHA forklift certification and safety training to help support safe and efficient food bank operations.
Early morning grocery rescue pickup: approximately 1,300 pounds of rescued food recovered to help feed families throughout our community.
Food delivered to our facility as volunteers begin sorting and transferring edible rescued food into crates for improved storage, organization, and efficient food distribution.
Deliveries continuing to arrive throughout the morning as volunteers sort rescued food and prepare completed crates for the emergency food box distribution line.
Stainless steel tables hold completed emergency food boxes that are continuously replenished throughout our 8:00 AM–11:00 AM distribution, 4x a week. Boxes are filled with fresh vegetables, fruit, dairy, pantry staples, and meats/protein for families in need.
Prior to receiving our forklift, volunteers would unload pallets entirely by hand. This particular shipment of rice and beans was made possible through last year’s $2,000 CRS Rice Bowl Grant
Students from our job training program with the Gilbert School District helping sort through approximately 5,000 pounds of rescued food for distribution to families throughout our community.
For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink...