St. Mary’s Food Bank in Arizona gets 35,000 pounds of chicken donated

PHOENIX — The St. Mary’s Food Bank got a special delivery on Tuesday.

It received a trailer load of 35,000 pounds of chicken, courtesy of Tyson Foods and the League of United Latin American Citizens, also known as LULAC.

LULAC President Roger Rocha said this will help feed tens of thousands of Arizona families, especially those with children who are home on summer break.

“When you look at those families that need to come to the St. Mary’s Food Bank, being able to come here and get protein, to get chicken, is a very big thing,” Rocha said.

This is one way LULAC “is giving back to the community,” he added.

Jerry Brown, spokesman for St. Mary’s Food Bank, said the 35,000 pounds of chicken will be used for congregate meals at St. Vincent de Paul dining hall and other places that serve meals to large groups of people.

“We have 500 different locations across the state that rely on St. Mary’s Food Bank,” Brown said. “They’re certainly going to appreciate the extra protein.”

He said it’s very difficult for St. Mary’s Food Bank to receive protein donations, “so that’s something that we always really look forward to getting.”

The delivery of the 35,000 pounds of chicken of chicken came the same day LULAC launched its 89th annual conference in Phoenix. The five-day conference is expected to draw 5,000 attendees. This year’s theme is “Together We Rise: Igniting Activism to Transform Communities.”

Rocha said they’ll have workshops, panels and luncheons “to work on our legislative platforms.”

“Obviously immigration is always at the very top of the list, but we also look at healthcare, women’s rights and LGBTQ issues,” he said. “This is where we solidify our platform for the year.”

Among the speakers who’ll be at the conference include NASA astronaut Jose Hernandez and political commentator Ana Navarro. Former Vice President Joe Biden will be the keynote speaker.

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