* This listing should not be considered an endorsement or recommendation either by the Autism Society of Greater Phoenix or its Board of Directors. It is merely a collection of individuals/entities/resources that have been deemed helpful or recommended by consumers. Please notify us if any information needs to be updated.
Arizona Women, Infants & Children (WIC) Program
Services: Provides nutrition education, breastfeeding support, and nutritious foods. WIC serves pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum women, infants, and children under the age of five.
Website: https://www.azdhs.gov/prevention/azwic
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
Services: Also known as Nutrition Assistance. Formerly known as Food Stamps. Provides eligible households with monthly benefits they can use to purchase nutritious food.
Website: https://des.az.gov/na
WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP)
Services: Works to improve the health of low-income families who are current WIC participants and currently receiving benefits
Website: https://des.az.gov/wic-farmers-markets
Double Up Food Bucks
Services: Allows current Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants an opportunity to receive additional fruits and vegetables.
Website: https://des.az.gov/double-food-bucks
Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP)
Services: A federally funded program that helps supplement the diets of low-income Americans, including elderly people, by providing them with emergency food and nutrition assistance at no cost.
Website: https://des.az.gov/emergency-food
Commodity Senior Food Program (CSFP)
Services: Works to improve the health of low-income persons who are at least 60 years of age by supplementing their diets with a monthly package of nutritious food at no cost.
Website: https://des.az.gov/senior-food-program
Elderly Simplified Application Project (ESAP)
Services: The goal of the project is to increase Nutrition Assistance participation among the elderly population by simplifying the application, interview, and verification processes.
Eligibility: Households may be eligible for ESAP when all members applying are age 60 years old or older and have no earned or self-employment income.
Website: https://des.az.gov/esap
Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP)
Services: Works to improve the health of low-income seniors. Participants must be at least 60 years of age, and either their income must be at or below 185% of the annual poverty income guidelines or they are participating in the Commodity Senior Food Program.
Website: https://des.az.gov/senior-farmers-markets
Congregate and Home-delivered Meals
A congregate meal is a nutritious hot meal provided at least once a day to an eligible participant at a nutrition site, senior center or other group setting. Congregate meal programs provide older adults with positive social contacts with other seniors at the meal sites. Congregate sites may also offer a variety of health-related services such as transportation, health screening, social service referrals, legal assistance, physical and social activities and volunteer opportunities.
The home-delivered meal program provides a nutritious meal to an eligible individual at their residence. Volunteers and paid staff deliver these meals and spend additional time with the individuals, helping to decrease their feelings of isolation. They also check on the individual’s welfare and report any health or other problems noted during their visits.
For more information on congregate meals sites and home-delivered meals, please contact your local Area Agency on Aging (AAA) by clicking here.
2-1-1 Arizona
An Arizona Information and Referral Service operates 24 hours per day, seven days per week and every day of the year. Live-operator service is available at all times in English and Spanish and assistance is available in other languages via real-time interpreter services.
2-1-1 Arizona operators will help individuals and families find resources that are available to them locally, throughout the state, and provide connections to critical services that can improve – and save – lives, including: Supplemental Food and Nutrition Programs, Shelter and Housing Options, Utilities Assistance, Emergency Information and Disaster Relief, Employment and Education Opportunities, Services for Veterans, Healthcare, vaccination and health epidemic information, Addiction Prevention and Rehabilitation Programs, Re-entry help for ex-offenders, Support groups for individuals with mental illnesses or special needs and a safe, confidential path out of physical and/or emotional domestic violence
Website: https://211arizona.org
Community Action Program in Arizona
The Community Services Division works closely with local governments and community-based partners to help provide essential utility and rental assistance.
Find your local CAP office by clicking here.
Arizona Food Bank Network
A coalition of 5 regional food banks and nearly 1,000 food pantries and agencies, working together to address hunger in Arizona. Each month this network helps feed more than 700,000 food insecure people in all 15 counties in Arizona. Use the website tool to find a food bank near you.
Website: https://azfoodbanks.org/get-food
Arizona Summer Food Service Program
All Arizona kids and teens (ages 18 and under) are eligible for free meals through the Summer Food Service Program at participating schools and community sites across Arizona during the summer break. Meals include breakfast, lunch, dinner or snack and vary with each location. No applications or paperwork are needed. Children simply need to be present to receive their free, healthy meal.
Website: https://www.azhealthzone.org/freesummermeals
Flagstaff Family Food Center: Food Bank and Kitchen
We serve hot meals, distribute food boxes to our food insecure neighbors, and provide assistance with resources such as SNAP and AHCCCS.
Website: https://hotfood.org/programs
Harvest Compassion Centers
Completely free to the public allowing all guests to shop freely for food, hygiene, baby and clothing items. NO APPOINTMENT NECESSARY. Each guest is allowed one visit every 30 days and is asked to provide proper identification that states their current home address. New guests please bring ID with your current address, current utility bill (water/power) with current address or current lease and/or housing contract or letter of residence.
Locations in North Phoenix, West Phoenix and Maryvale.
Website: https://harvestcompassioncenter.org/about/hcc-services
Mutual Aid Tempe
We are a mutual aid network operating primarily in Tempe, Arizona. We are a network of people who are in need and/or have enough to give. Participation in our network is voluntary and fluid; no one is locked into any position. Mutual aid is solidarity, not charity. It is a practice that people have engaged in long before capitalism and colonialism––not only to survive, but to thrive.
Website: https://mutualaidtempe.com
St. Mary’s Food Bank
Provides nutritious food to families, children, and seniors facing food insecurity. Explore our map and find a food pantry in your community now. Services available statewide.
Website: https://azfoodhelp.org
Additional program from St. Mary’s. The home delivery food program is for a household who is unable to travel to the food bank and/or local food pantry. A person(s) must be 18 years or older to register for a home delivery. Food deliveries are restricted to one delivery per week, per household. Delivery frequency is subject to change. Must apply in advance. Click here to apply.
American Discount Foods
Arizona’s largest liquidation grocery store! Our family-owned business sells high-quality overstocks, short coded, discontinued, and damaged case products from major grocery retailers. In our stores, it’s not uncommon to find your favorite name brand products priced as low as 75% less than the normal retail price you’re used to paying.
Two locations in Mesa
Website: https://americandiscountfoodsaz.com
Bimbo Bread Outlet
Bimbo Bakeries USA offers several outlet options in Arizona. Locations are available in Sun City, Phoenix and Tucson.
Website: www.bimbobakeriesusa.com/outlet-locator
Borderlands’ Produce On Wheels With-Out Waste
Redistribution program. Each produce season, from November through August, our organization partners with 30+ non-profits or community groups to host Saturday market locations. At each of our Borderlands P.O.W.W.O.W. event supporters are able to make a cash contribution of at least $15 to support our non-profit, and as a thank you, take home up to 70lbs of rescued produce.
Programs available statewide. Find an event near you at https://borderlandsproducerescue.org/events
Dave’s Killer Bread Outlet
Low-key shop featuring discount, day-old loaves of organic bread & other baked goods.
Address: 310 W Southern Ave, Mesa, AZ 85211
Phone: (480) 807-2949
Open 9AM-5PM daily, closed Sundays
Everybody’s Family Fruit
Everybody needs to eat and that’s why we started Everybody’s Family Fruit. We realized we could help people eat better. Better, as in fresher produce, at a cheaper price, and more convenient than ever. Here at Everybody’s Family Fruit, we sell fresh fruits, vegetables and more, all while giving you the best prices we can offer. Our sales typically occur a few times a week, or to keep it simple, whenever we have the right products that make it possible.
Located in Peoria
Website: https://everybodysfamilyfruit.com/new-customers
Flowers Foods: Bakery Outlet Stores
Our bakery outlet stores offer great savings on surplus bakery products from leading brands like Nature’s Own, Dave’s Killer Bread, Wonder, Tastykake, and Mrs. Freshley’s. Find a bakery outlet store near you using the store locator tool.
Locations available in Alpine, Apache Junction, Chandler, Phoenix and Tucson.
Website: https://flowersfoods.com/bakery-outlet-stores
Too Good To Go
Save good food from going to waste. This is a social impact company on a mission to inspire and empower everyone to fight food
waste together. Requires you to download an app to participate. Our app is the world’s largest marketplace for surplus food. We help users rescue good food from going to waste, offering great value for money at local stores, cafes and restaurants.
Website: www.toogoodtogo.com
Feeding America
Groceries, meals, and more are just a search away. Enter your ZIP code to find nearby food banks in the Feeding America network.
Website: www.feedingamerica.org/find-your-local-foodbank