SURPRISE — As grocery bills, utility costs and other household expenses continue to strain family budgets, a monthly mobile food pantry in Surprise is helping residents put food on the table during difficult times.
For Katrina Thomas, the need became personal after an unexpected job loss.
“About a month ago, I unfortunately got laid off. It was really tough,” Thomas said.
Like many households facing financial uncertainty, Thomas said every bit of assistance can make a difference when balancing expenses such as insurance payments, utility bills and other necessities.
That's where Phoenix Rescue Mission's mobile food pantry comes in.
The nonprofit organization partners with Christ's Church of the Valley in Surprise to distribute canned goods and pantry staples on the third Thursday of each month from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
The program has served more than 2,600 households across the Valley, according to organizers, and local residents say the assistance often arrives when it is needed most.
“It’s huge,” Thomas said. “My son forgot his glasses at school today, and I was driving by to take them back up to him, and I saw it, and I was like, ‘Oh, OK, we could use that right now.’”
The need for food assistance remains significant across Arizona.
Recent data from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities found Arizona has experienced one of the nation's sharpest declines in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, enrollment, with participation down 48% from July 2025, though enrollment has recently begun to rebound.
Food banks and pantries across the state say they are seeing the impact firsthand.
“A lot of the people that are coming in through our pantry, especially, they’re saying it’s because they lost their SNAP benefits,” said Christopher Bodnar, agency network director for United Food Bank.
As more families seek assistance, organizations that provide food aid report growing demand for their services. The Phoenix Rescue Mission says its Surprise mobile pantry is still relatively new, but awareness of the program continues to spread throughout the community.
Organizers hope to expand their reach and connect more families with resources as economic pressures persist.
They are also encouraging community members to support local hunger relief efforts through donations and volunteer work.
“You can help by donating funds, you can help by volunteering, you can help by running a food drive,” Bodnar said.
For recipients like Thomas, the pantry provides more than groceries. It serves as a reminder that neighbors are willing to help one another during difficult times.
“Knowing that so many others are worse off than us, that hurts my heart even more,” Thomas said. “So I just have to be thankful for what I have, God’s daily bread, you know.”
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