Waste Not is an organization with a simple, uncomplicated strategy that significantly impacts the quality of life for hundreds of men, women and children throughout the Valley. We operate from the perspective that “the whole equals the sum of its parts.” Our “part” in helping to transform a despairing life to one of hope, begins at the very foundational level of addressing one of the most basic of human needs – hunger. By providing wholesome and nourishing food to our recipient partners, it frees them to address the various needs and challenges of the individuals and families that they serve.

The following are glimpses into some of the agencies Waste Not provides food for and the impact this food has on their day to day operations.

Homeward Bound

2302 W. Colter
Phoenix, AZ 85015

Homeward Bound provides transitional housing and a broad range of social services for families with children who are homeless or fleeing domestic violence. Homeward Bound offers families a “hand up not a handout,” with each family contributing 30% of their adjusted gross income for housing, utilities and support services. 95% of families served successfully complete the core program of parenting education, financial basics, home maintenance and domestic violence prevention, breaking negative cycles and going on to achieve self-sufficiency.

Dana Bailey, Director of Marketing Communications, says “Hunger and adequate nutrition are real concerns for our working poor families.  For the past seven years, Waste Not has provided 80% of perishable food distributed through our program, as well as 100% of the thanksgiving turkeys each year.  Not only do the weekly donations of food help clients stretch their grocery budgets, they provide our families with a variety of specialty items that they would not be able to afford. It is a resource that our families and staff count on to help fill in the gaps!”

Phoenix Youth At Risk

1001 E. Pierce St.
Phoenix, AZ 85006

Phoenix Youth at Risk's staff and volunteer mentors have been helping to transform the lives of at-risk and homeless children and youth since 1987 – changing thoughts, behaviors and outcomes.  Waste Not’s deliveries of healthy snacks consistently feed 150 children and youth, ages 5 – 17, per week who attend a variety of life-changing programs.  Linda Lyman, President/CEO explained that “the Waste Not program allows us to spend more of our funding on direct program services.”

Tumbleweed Drop-In Center

Tumbleweed Drop-In Center is ahaven for homeless and runaway youth, ages 9 to 22 - where they are safe from street danger and exploitation during the day.Youth can get hot meals, showers, clothing and a case manager to help them with their immediate needs. The Center also provides a continuum of services that help clients move beyond the streets. Brian (center in photo), once homeless himself, was hired as a Tumbleweed Outreach Intern, helping other youth to find stability and direction!  All clients help with the meals and youth are encouraged to use their creativity in utilizing the food.  Steven Serrano, Program Manager, said “Waste Not’s deliveries of fresh salads and prepared meals as they are often the only hot meals our clients eat in a day.”

Granite Reef Senior Center

1700 N. Granite Reef Road
Scottsdale, AZ 85257

The City of Scottsdale has been providing services to seniors for more than 30 years. Their newest location, the Granite Reef Senior Center serves as a “one stop shop”, offering a wide variety of recreation, education, health & wellness and social service programs. It’s a beehive of activity Monday-Saturday, from 8 am until 10 pm. Citizen contacts number 300,000/year.

Waste Not has been partnering with the Senior Center since 1993, providing bread, fruit and extras for seniors to take home to supplement their groceries. Waste Not also participates in the senior lunch program by serving pies once a month on “Senior Dessert Day”. Lunch Program Director Barbara Johnson says the lunch program allows one baked good each week, so “they all look forward to having the extra sweet. It is like party day when Waste Not comes.”

Arizona Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired

3100 E. Roosevelt St.
Phoenix, AZ 85008

The Arizona Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired has been providing services for individuals since 1947. The ACBVI is committed to “enhancing the quality of life for people who are legally blind or otherwise visually impaired.”

Its state-of-the-art facility in Phoenix had humble beginnings. A group of individuals met in one another’s homes to resolve common challenges of living with blindness or visual impairment. The meetings evolved into support groups and their numbers swelled, leading to meetings in the basement of a church. With the help of the Lions Club, plans were made in 1965 to create a permanent facility.

Through dynamic leadership and with a vision to greatly expand services, the Center has become an invaluable resource to our community. Their services, which include assistive technology, counseling, social services, rehabilitation and mobility training are available to adults who are legally blind or visually impaired as well as to those who have a degenerative eye condition which may lead to visual impairment.

Waste Not is proud to have been affiliated with ACBVI and for the past nine years has been delivering food to its doors, providing over 80% of the donated food used at the facility. Each year over 1,800 men and women are served at the Center and, including home services, the number exceeds 3,000. “Making life easier” for these individuals is the credo of ACBVI and Waste Not is a committed partner in this endeavor.

Goelet A. C. Beuf Community Center Senior Center

3435 W. Pinnacle Peak Road
Phoenix, AZ 85027-1021

The Beuf Community Center houses the Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department, the Senior Center, a Development Center and a Phoenix Police substation. This facility opened in September of 2003 and was named in honor of the Phoenix policeman, Goelet Beuf, who lost his life in the line of duty in 1999.

The Senior Center is open to men and women 60 and older and to the disabled. They offer nutritional counseling and many recreational and social activities. A congregate breakfast and lunch are provided by the city of Phoenix Senior Services Division. They receive no additional funds for their programs so the food provided by Waste Not is put to good use. Dina, the community worker at the center, plans birthday celebrations and special events for the guests, claiming “I love Waste Not. With Waste Not it’s a world of possibilities.” Waste Not provides all food donated to this program and for people on fixed incomes it is greatly appreciated.

Mark Allen Foundation

2622 W. State
Phoenix, AZ 85051

Mark Allen Foundation was established in 1993 as an assisted living facility for the mentally disabled. They are licensed for 26 beds and take male and female residents, most between the ages of 30-50 years of age. They stay as long as necessary, most of them residing there for many years. The residents have level 2 SMI or Downs Syndrome and most are on medications, some being self-administered. There is a kitchen, a small common area and a courtyard where they can take meals, weather permitting. Some residents take their meals in their apartments depending on their level of independence. They provide group activities such as bowling, movies or going out for lunch once a week. Waste Not has been delivering food to them for the past 4 years which amounts to approximately 40% of their total food used. Their cook, LeRoy, says Waste Not contributions really help add fresh foods to their menus.

Phoenix Day

115 E. Tonto Street
Phoenix, AZ 85004

Phoenix Day serves more than 3,500 children, families and community members annually through high-quality early education and health services. The majority of clients are low-income area residents, often single mothers, struggling to make ends meet. Founded in 1915 by the Junior Guild of Trinity Cathedral, Phoenix Day offered an innovative service for the time-childcare for World War I wives entering the workforce. Since then it has grown into one of Arizona’s most innovative and progressive child learning centers. Their programs are open to children age 6 weeks to 5 years. They are licensed for 168 children.

They serve breakfast, lunch and two snacks each day. For more than seven years Waste Not has provided food that is used for special events, as well as reserving some of the donated food to send home with the families to help provide for siblings. They are a stable resource for the surrounding community and partnering with Waste Not helps them better meet the challenges of daily living for the families they serve.

Manna Learning Center Greater Hope Church

401 E. Mohave Street
Phoenix, AZ 85004

The Manna Learning Center operates through the Greater Hope Church, serving its surrounding community since 1999. For the past 7 years Waste Not has provided them with 33% of their overall food used. 50-60 people are fed daily with half of those being children 5 years and under. “They love to see the Waste Not truck pull up.” Pastor Naomi Stuart, of Greater Hope Church notes that many of the children arrive without having had breakfast. “We just couldn’t do it without your help. Thank You.”

Shepherd's Warehouse Ministry

455 E. Continental
Tempe, AZ 85281

Shepherd’s Warehouse Ministry was established on March 5, 1989 in Tempe, Arizona as a food box ministry – assisting 35 families per year with food for the holidays. This initiative had such a great impact on the community that, over the past fourteen years, Shepherd’s was literally forced to move three times to larger facilities to accommodate their program. Now Shepherd’s provides food boxes of up to 55 pounds to thousands of people year-round.

Waste Not began delivering food to Shepherd’s in 1991. Shepherd’s credits their partnership with Waste Not as the very reason they were able to expand their services to the community so dramatically; Waste Not provides 90% of their perishable food supply. Not only are they able to provide high-quality, nutritious food to needy families, but now they offer clothing, limited furniture, and a Food Share Gift Program, as well as many other services for homeless men, women and children.

This time-tested alliance between Waste Not and Shepherd’s is an inspiring example of what effective partnering can achieve in multiplying the scope of available services to those who so desperately need them.