The Cultural Cup Food Bank

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CLOSED NOW - Opens at 9:00am

Cultural Cup Food Bank started about 10 years ago, due to the emergency needs of single women with children, and the fact that most emergency food banks didn't have much concern for the type of food they gave out. Zarinah had her own personal experience with seeking out emergency help and was told beggars can't be choosers. It was her desire to make sure no one else would be treated like that and so the idea came to provide food boxes that would meet the cultural, religious, and health demands of those in need. Zarinah Awad along with a few volunteers worked diligently from out of her home providing these food boxes for families in need. In 2003 the opportunity came to get this program moving by way of an article in the Arizona Republic, and so Cultural Food Bank was born. Cultural Cup Food Bank Inc is a non-profit 501c3, non-sectarian, community-based organization established to provide alternative emergency food for those in need, who have religious, health and dietary food restrictions. We are all volunteers and run 100% from donations given by our supporters in the community. Between Zarinah and a host of volunteers we serve 300 families per week, with emergency food and baby needs such as diapers, food, and milk. With Sabiha Keskin as our Program Manager and all around "get the job done" sister. We also deliver boxes to the elderly (over 55, limited income), disabled "homebound" client every month under our B.R.E.A.D. Program. A few other programs which we are in desperate need of funding are our "Food Gift Card Program" and our "Pharmacy Gift Card Program". The Food Gift Card Program is aimed to help provide food items unavailable at food banks; to clients with immediate medical and religious dietary restrictions. Those with diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure and allergies are just a few who would qualify for this program. The Pharmacy Gift Card Program is another program on our "High Priority" list; this program is for the clients of our Free Medical Clinic, held on saturdays. The Pharmacy Gift Card would provide a means for uninsured medical clients to obtain needed medications at a discount at local pharmacies such as Wal-Mart. We are in constant need of financial support, due to our large turnover of indigenous and refugee families from all over the world. Big plans are under way now and when asked how are you doing all these things Zarinah responds with a smile "Faith; G-O-D will make a way".