TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — As Clelia Ibello drove up to Interfaith Community Services Food Bank’s food giveaway, she was greeted by a friendly volunteer.
“The people here are doing the greatest thing in the world,” Ibello said.
She’s been going to the food giveaways for around three years and even though she’s on social security, it’s been hard for her to pay for groceries.
“If I don’t want to starve to death…ya I have to do this,” she said.
She's had days when she’s been scared about where her next meal will come from and that's why she goes to local senior citizen centers for hot meals.
It’s also places like Interfaith Community Service’s food bank’s food giveaways that help her keep costs low.
“With inflation coming up and being here and everything going up in price, people really do need the help,” she said.
Tom McKinney, the food bank’s CEO said the food bank is spending over their budget. He said that’s because they’re taking in about 5,000 pounds less in donations compared to around this time last year.
He said sometimes they’re having to substitute meats like chicken for hot dogs.
In December of 2022 and just last month, he said they served 1,800 more people than they did in January of 2022 and December of 2021.
They’re able to reach more people at about seven sites with their food truck, some up to twice a week.
Volunteers like Mitzi Walker see firsthand that more people are coming to the food giveaways.
She was a teacher for about 20 years and helping out at the food giveaways is a personal cause for her.
“As teachers, we all knew that there were some kids that would come to school hungry and no kid should go hungry and kids can’t learn when they’re hungry,” Walker said.
As a volunteer for about seven years, she checks people in, using a notebook to count how many people are coming and a computer to make sure they only come twice a month.
She said giving food to people is worth it because giving food is an expression of love.
“Making people happy, giving them food, knowing that you’re helping,” she said when asked about what makes volunteering worth it.
On Tuesday, the food bank donated to about 82 families at their giveaway and about 100 families at their northwest food bank. They're hoping to have more food drives to drive up donations.
For people like Ibello, it’s the lifeline they need to keep on going.
“Big big big deep breath right there to know that tomorrow I can eat,” she said.
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Andrew Christiansen is a reporter for KGUN 9. Before joining the team, Andrew reported in Corpus Christi, Texas for KRIS6 News, Action 10 News and guest reported in Spanish for Telemundo Corpus Christi. Share your story ideas with Andrew by emailing andrew.christiansen@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, or Twitter.
