PHOENIX — A record number of Arizona households need help covering their food costs.
In July 2024, more than 460,000 Arizona households were on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, a record high according to data from USDA and the Department of Economic Security.
And at St. Mary's Food Bank, more than a thousand families come through the Phoenix Neighborhood Food Center every weekday.
"We're actually seeing more people come to the food bank now than we did during the height of the pandemic in 2020," Jerry Brown, Director of Public Relations at St. Mary's Food Bank, said.
Brown said people are struggling to afford food amidst inflation raising prices on a variety of goods and services, leading them to seek help covering food costs from the food bank, or SNAP.
“The number of people who qualify for SNAP benefits, and the people that come to food banks kind of mirror each other, so if you're doing one, you're probably doing the other,” Brown said.
DES couldn’t answer exactly why more people are applying for benefits, but said they’ve received more than 60,000 new and renewal applications each month for the last three months.
Some of those who need and qualify for benefits, or are trying to renew their benefits, have told 12News getting a hold of DES has been a challenge.
“I call it the bureaucratic loop,” said Melissa Higgins, a senior staff attorney with Community Legal Services. “I fear is there's a lot of people out there who are struggling with this that aren't coming to our door, because in cases like this, where they are stuck in this limbo, there's no notice that DES is sending them where they have appeal rights, or they know that they have legal help.”
But there are resources that can help.
DES Client Liaison Unit
Applicants can contact a DES liaison to help people with eligibility/renewal issues with their SNAP, Medicaid, and Cash Assistance.
Call: (602) 542-8201
Community Legal Services
Apply for assistance at www.clsaz.org
CLS operates in five counties, so use the link to find the number of the office closest to you.
In Maricopa County, call: (602) 258-3434
St. Mary's Food Bank
You can find food assistance nearby, apply for home delivery and look into other services at their website: https://www.stmarysfoodbank.org/find-help/
You can also call the food bank at 602-242-3663
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