St. Mary’s Food Bank changes hours, distribution at 2 main Valley locations

PHOENIX — Changes in food distribution methods and service hours will take effect on April 13 at the two main St. Mary’s Food Bank locations in Phoenix and Surprise, according to a press release.

The new service hours will be Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., a change from the original 4 p.m. closure.

Both locations will also be switching to a drive-thru method in order to promote social distancing amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Clients will not be allowed to leave their car and will instead have food loaded into their trunks or truck beds by volunteers.

People will need an ID or proof of address for each family in the vehicle.

St. Mary’s Food Bank still anticipates accommodating the same number of clients they have been serving over the past few weeks (around 1,200 to 1,500 families per day), even with the reduced hours of distribution.

The additional hours in the afternoon allows staff to prepare for the next day and keep up with demand.

St. Mary’s Food Bank served nearly double the usual amount of 45,000 emergency food boxes per month in March, according to the release.

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