12/30: Arizona’s Food Banks Want Your Citrus Donations Beginning January 2



Are your citrus trees starting to fill up with fruit?  It’s not a problem – Arizona’s food banks want your citrus donations!  Food banks continue to respond to record levels of demand, and your citrus donations help supplement food boxes with fresh, healthy food.  In addition, donated citrus can be juiced to ensure a longer shelf life. 

Donate your excess citrus, free of stems and leaves, from your personal and neighborhood trees beginning January 2.  Contact a food bank near you for details:

• Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona, Tucson: Call 520-449-8340 or visit www.communityfoodbank.org
   
• Desert Mission Food Bank, North Phoenix: Call 602-870-6062 or visit www.jcl.com/foodbank
   
• St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance, Metro Phoenix & Flagstaff: Call 602-343-5658 or visit www.firstfoodbank.org/news/donate-your-citrus-to-st-marys-food-bank/6195. You can also drop off your citrus donations during St. Mary’s fifth annual Super Citrus Saturday on January 25.  Click here for more information and a list of locations.
   
• United Food Bank, Mesa & East Valley: Call 480-926-4897 or visit http://unitedfoodbank.org/get-involved/citrus
   
• Yuma Community Food Bank: Call 928-343-1243 or visit www.yumafoodbank.org
   
• Find a Neighborhood Food Bank Near You by entering your zip code here.  Always call in advance to make sure they will accept your citrus donations.

If you are interested in having your trees gleaned, or volunteering to help glean trees, contact your nearest food bank for details beginning January 2.  Please note that some food banks do not have the resources to come to your home to glean your trees, and if they do, it is usually on a first-come-first serve basis and there may be a fee.  Please contact your local food bank to inquire about that food bank’s specific gleaning policies and for more information about dropping-off citrus donations.

Arizona remains under USDA quarantine due to Sweet Orange Scab (click here for more information). Affected citrus is still good to eat and juice since Sweet Orange Scab only affects how the citrus looks, not how it tastes or its nutritional value.

Arizona’s food banks still want your citrus donations!