PHOENIX — Thousands of Arizonans are losing SNAP benefits, and one South Phoenix food bank is feeling it first. Demand at St. Vincent de Paul’s main campus near 5th Avenue and Watkins Street, off Interstate 17, has nearly doubled.
Families are stretching every dollar they have left, and this non-profit organization is putting more meals on more tables, one drive-thru box at a time. This South Phoenix distribution center runs its food box distribution the second and fourth Saturday of every month starting at 6:30 a.m.
“Some people have told us that they're here in the line about as early as four in the morning because they want to make sure that they have a food box to take home,” said Andrea Ariza, Public Relations Manager for St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP), to ABC15’s Nicole Gutierrez.
“Before, over 450,000 Arizonans lost benefits to SNAP; we were helping about 102 families during our distributions. Right now, on average, we're serving about 229 families during our distributions monthly,” Ariza told ABC15.
Volunteers pack each box with meat, produce, and pantry staples, trying to make the drive-thru feel less like a handout and more like a trip to the grocery store.
“It's just like if you go into the grocery store and buy groceries, you're getting everything that you would buy. You're getting something of everything. So that way, we're hoping to get stretch them throughout the week till they come back,” said Felicia Townsend, a SVdP volunteer.
State data shows hundreds of thousands of Arizonans have had SNAP benefits reduced or removed since early 2025.
State Senator John Kavanagh, whose own bills to tighten SNAP were vetoed, says the causes are layered.
“Part of the reduction is because of changes in the federal law,” said Kavanagh in an interview with ABC15. “We removed certain populations, people here legally, but who aren't citizens. We removed some geographic waivers that exempted people in rural areas from the work requirement were removed because there's employment there now, and of course voluntarily Arizona increased the scrutiny and records that we checks that we go through because we have to get rid of our errors.”
At a food box distribution event, ABC15 spoke with families in line. Many of these families expressed that the policy debate is a deeply personal issue for them:
- “I was cut big time from $298 to $148,” said Debbie Hoffman, a south Phoenix resident who had been in line since 4:30 a.m. “And $148 don't go very far. Just one trip [to the grocery store] and it's all gone.”
- “I try to come every time they have it because it's a blessing for me and my family. I have a disabled son, partially paralyzed, and it helps feed us, so it's very helpful,” said Terry Trevicio.
- “I have a cousin with autism. He’s autistic, and the government [doesn’t] want to help him … because he [doesn’t have] no more food stamps,” said Arnulfo Carrasco, who lives with his cousin. “But we come here because they give us this [food box] and they help us.”
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The south Phoenix SVDP food box distribution occurs twice a month at 420 W. Watkins St. in Phoenix. To receive a box, you only need a valid state ID demonstrating that you reside in Arizona.
