We recently interviewed the Association of Arizona Food Banks (AAFB), who is partnering with Vitamin Angels to connect 13,019 pregnant and lactating women with multivitamins.  Read what they had to share about their work in the field and how they are making a difference in the lives of thousands of Arizonans. 

1) Our organization...provides research and advise in areas related to public policy; promotes anti-hunger events and activities of our members and food banking in general; and operates the Arizona Statewide Gleaning Project, which is a trucking and logistics arm that transports food on behalf of food banks.

2) We work in…three primary areas to assist our member food banks, who collectively serve all 15 counties in Arizona. 

3) Every day we…work diligently to support and collaborate with our member food banks to help ensure they are doing the best job they can to serve their clients. 

4) We are working with Vitamin Angels because…they’ve worked with us almost every year since 2008 to donate multivitamins for pregnant and lactating women to AAFB for distribution to our food banks and their agencies, and ultimately their clients.  In 2011 alone, they donated 26,400 bottles.

5) One example of a recipient who has been helped by vitamin donations is…a young woman visiting a food bank, living at or near poverty, struggling with hunger, with perhaps nowhere else to turn, who is also pregnant or lactating and needs specialized support beyond just an ordinary food box.

6) A favorite activity of the children and women we work with is…simply spending time with their families, trying to live healthy and active lives, and dreaming of better futures.

7) We find inspiration in…knowing we are making a real difference in the lives of hundreds of thousands of Arizonans who are struggling with hunger and its effects.

AAFB Arizona Statewide Gleaning Project truck, which is used to transport Vitamin Angels vitamins and nutritional supplements to AAFB member food banks throughout Arizona.