ORO VALLEY, Ariz. (KGUN — Oro Valley Urgent Care is hosting a food drive through the month of August. Any donations go toward IMPACT of Southern Arizona's food bank.
"They serve people who are low income families, single parents, grandparents raising grandchildren, and we just felt like they were a perfect fit to partner with the same mission," said Beth Brown, the owner of Oro Valley Urgent Care.
Their shared mission: serving the community.
Nathalia Queen, a mother of four, visits the food bank every month.
“If we didn't have this right now, we wouldn't have made it. Literally, we would have not made it," Queen said.
After going through a divorce, the need for a food bank became stronger for Queen, who also has a fifth child on the way.
"Things happen in life," Queen said. "You never know what can happen and you need the community."
The food bank provides financial relief for those like Queen who says shopping for groceries has become a struggle.
“Everything is so expensive," Queen said. "If you have animals, kids, anything — everything's so expensive. You can barely afford it.”
Every item at the food bank is free.
"Our biggest thing is just moving people forward," Cody Wilkinson, the director of feeding programs at IMPACT of Southern Arizona, said.
"Stretching that budget to just try to help those families, you know, be able to maybe pay that car bill or maybe go on that family vacation, so they don't have to worry about where they're going to get their next groceries from," Wilkinson said.
Wilkinson recalled a time a client came in to do shopping and got ice cream.
"The client actually started crying because that's not something that they would have bought," Wilkinson said.
They are now feeding 800 households in Pima and Pinal County. However, two-and-a-half years ago, Wilkinson said that number was just a little bit over 500.
The growth has made it difficult to keep up with the demand, making food drives more important.
"We got to keep over 2,500 items on our shelves a month just in order to give our clients items to pick in our shopping center," Wilkinson said.
But, Wilkinson said, they've stayed afloat with the help of corporate donations, corporate sponsors, volunteers, donations from the community and food drives.
"In addition to food drives, we're also looking for impact bag sponsor," Wilkinson said. "It's just another way for corporations or businesses or clubs in the area to help contribute."
They are looking for 15 businesses a month to help contribute 5 items that IMPACT of Southern Arizona considers staple items.
Wilkinson said, it's about a $300 to $400 cost to the business.
"It's also just a fun way to do a food drive within the office or just, you know, do some sort of volunteer work, just team building," Wilkinson said.
As for donations to drop off at Oro Valley Urgent Care, the food bank is in need of items like canned food, pet food and toiletries.
"We really have a heart for this town. We are not corporate, so the money is not going anywhere else," Brown, who was born and raised in Tucson, said.
"Similarly, this food with IMPACT of Southern Arizona is staying local as well," Brown said. "They are here to literally serve your neighbors — somebody you may not realize is food insecure.
Oro Valley Urgent Care is open Monday through Saturday from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., for anyone interested in dropping off an item.
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