Feeding the Vulnerable: The Escalante Garden’s Mission
Located off the Loop 101 and University Drive in Tempe, Arizona, the Escalante Garden plays a vital role in combatting food insecurity in the community. Partnering with a local food pantry, the garden grows a variety of fruits and vegetables to provide nutritional options to families in need.
Food insecurity affects one in six Arizonans, from children to seniors. This partnership between the garden and the food pantry, overseen by the Tempe Community Action Agency, aims to address this issue by providing sustainable solutions to hunger.
Deborah Arteaga, representing the TCAA, emphasized the significant impact of the garden and pantry on the community. “We strive to feed roughly 30,000 adults and children within the East Valley, offering everything from bagged snacks to full meals,” she shared.
Not only does the Escalante Garden provide food to local families, but it also delivers food boxes to college campuses and senior centers. Arteaga highlighted the importance of food in nourishing lives and enhancing productivity at work and school.
With a focus on sustainability, the garden plays a crucial role in minimizing food waste. Any excess food that cannot be distributed is composted and used to grow more produce. Additionally, the group operates a food rescue program, saving products that would otherwise go to waste from local stores.
As National Food Bank Day approaches on Sept. 6, it is a reminder of the life-saving resources that food banks provide to communities. The Escalante Garden and its partners continue to work tirelessly to meet the ongoing need for food assistance.
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