12 Phoenix food pantries to donate your time, money, & food to this holiday season
Do you have extra food, a little bit of time, or some cash to share this holiday season? Donating to Phoenix food pantries is a great way to help people in need.
The holidays are a time for gathering with loved ones over feasts, often marked by full hearts and bellies. The average American may even make jokes about gaining weight from overeating this time of year. Unfortunately, this romanticized view of the holidays is not the reality for many, especially those struggling to make ends meet. Even before the government shutdown and the unfortunate withholding of food benefits, hunger is an ongoing threat for many in Phoenix. Thankfully, there are several food banks and food pantries available to help those in need. If you are interested in counting your blessings through acts of service, there are many food banks around Phoenix where you can donate your time, food, or money. After all, ’tis the season of giving.
Phoenix food pantries to support this holiday season
Mom’s Pantry
13440 N Cave Creek Rd
Mom’s Pantry is a nonprofit with a vision to eradicate food uncertainty. Offering food to those affected by ongoing food insecurity and by the loss of SNAP benefits, this pantry makes it easy to donate. Open for donations on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., the pantry is currently seeking donations in the form of mac and cheese, cereal, pasta, toilet paper, pasta sauce, canned veggies, canned tuna/chicken, and soup/ramen. There are also monthly partnerships that can help fund the mission and provide a tax credit for the giver.
7th Street Food Pantry
4223 S 7th St
7th Street Food Pantry is a faith-based organization that makes it easy to donate, volunteer, or receive food if necessary. The homepage of the website has links for all three options, making the process seamless and easy. There is even a sign-up list to alert recipients when extra food is ready to be given out. A little bit can go a long way at this food pantry.
HonorHealth Desert Mission
9229 N 4th St
HonorHealth Desert Mission recognizes that “the link between hunger and poor health is undeniable.” With a focus on nutritious food options, this food bank—located on the campus of John C. Lincoln Medical Center—helps people find food and other resources. The center accepts food and cash donations, as well as volunteers 16 years of age or older.
Andre House Of Arizona, Inc.
213 S 11th Ave
What started as a donated Christmas meal evolved into a 6-night-a-week hot meal serving an average of 600 plates per night. Andre House of Arizona is a Christian foundation that makes it easy to give time, money, or donations, and accepts more than just food. This organization serves up big meals most nights, which requires a great deal of volunteer force, but it also accepts clothing, hygiene products, and even Amazon wish-list donations. Regardless of how you choose to offer a hand, this organization makes it easy to give.
Mount Of Olives Food Closet
3546 E Thomas Rd
Olive Branch Community of Hope is now a 501 (c) (3) to ensure ongoing assistance to the 125+ families it serves weekly. It humbly started as a food pantry in a wing of the Mount of Olives Lutheran Church. While donations are gladly accepted, this organization first asks for volunteers to assist in distribution. To sign up, all you have to do is send an email to the outreach coordinator.
St. Mary’s Food Bank
3131 W Thomas Rd
The largest food bank of Arizona, St. Mary’s Food Bank distributed over 100,000,000 pounds of food in 2024. To get involved, St. Mary’s offers numerous options, from hosting a hunger drive to making cash or goods donations to assisting with the organization and more. With more than one way to feed the hungry, this food bank goes beyond simply volunteering to serve food to the unhoused.
PV Community Food Bank
10862 N 32nd St
Volunteering or donating to PV Community Food Bank means helping schoolchildren receive nutritious meals, even on weekends. This food bank specifically donates to Title 1 schools, which are schools that cater to an at-risk population of students (“at risk” means a student is statistically likely to fail due to a range of factors, which often include socioeconomic issues such as homelessness, living in poverty, or a difficult home environment). Choosing to donate your time or resources here means helping the next generation develop and grow.
Arizona Kosher Pantry
7118 N 7th St
The Arizona Kosher Pantry, previously Ezra’s Cholim, began as a way to provide kosher meals to people in need during hospital stays. It has now evolved into a food pantry that serves 2,600 people monthly. The slogan is “we nourish so they flourish,” and that is a mission worth supporting. This pantry has simple ways to volunteer, donate, fulfill wishlists, and even set up an annual donation eligible for a tax credit. Although focused on offering both kosher and Shabbat meals, this program is for the whole community, not just the Jewish.
Harvest Compassion Center
4744 E Thunderbird Rd #9
Harvest Compassion Center has fed over 150,000 people since opening its doors in 2011. With a working concept of “food banking reimagined,” this compassion center offers one-stop shops in four locations, providing food and clothing assistance, along with a play corner just for kids. Those who wish to support Harvest Compassion Centers may donate items—the most wanted item of November is boxed stuffing—or financial assistance, and of course, volunteering is encouraged.
Generation Food Pantry
11832 S Warner Elliot Loop
Serving food boxes on Wednesdays and Saturdays to anyone who needs to fill their fridge and pantry, Generation Food Pantry is run entirely by volunteers. There is a need for volunteers to assist with donation pickup, food organization, and bringing boxes to families’ cars. Of course, this pantry also accepts donations if time is currently in short supply for you.
Operation Care Food Bank
1827 W Grovers Ave
Operation Care Food Bank is a small, Christian-based food pantry that operates out of North Phoenix. While this food bank accepts cash donations, the push is for non-perishable food items and items that do not require preparation, as this helps cater to a needy homeless population that would otherwise have no way to eat many donated food items. Check out the website for more information on what items are most necessary.
Cause4Paws Pet Food Bank & Meals on Wheels
Partnered with Meals on Wheels, Cause4Paws Pet Food Bank delivers pet food to seniors and veterans in need. Often, these populations live on a limited income and have one meal a day, which they split with their furry companion. Any pet lover or lonesome individual knows just how important a fur friend can be for mental health, well-being, and overall companionship. While there are volunteering opportunities via Meals on Wheels, this organization is currently accepting cash donations to purchase pet food for the noble cause.
Share the abundance
As you finalize holiday plans and shopping lists for the rest of this year, be sure to consider donating time, money, or goods to a Phoenix-area food pantry. The world can be a scary place, even in our developed country, and no one deserves to be hungry. These 12 food pantries make it easy to share the abundance, and even just a few hours of volunteering can make a huge difference in another person’s life. May you have happy holidays ahead, and find the warmth that comes from giving to those in need this holiday season.
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