A downtown non-profit that has advocated for local Arizona businesses played a huge role in an effort to bring food aid to the Valley this past summer. The ASU Global Institute of Sustainability hosted a webinar Wednesday to highlight Local First Arizona’s Feed Phoenix Initiative from July and update on what the organization is currently doing to help struggling restaurants during the pandemic.
Local First Arizona is a non-profit organization based in the Evans Churchill neighborhood that supports and advocates for local business communities all around Arizona while also spreading awareness about the positive effects of a strong local economy.
Local First Arizona teamed up with the city of Phoenix back in July to start the Feed Phoenix Initiative.
“This initiative will touch all layers of our local food system and make the greatest impact possible for small businesses across various industries,” Founder Kimber Lanning said in a press release back in July. “From local chefs featuring three locally-sourced vegetables in every meal to opting for sustainable to-go packaging for delivery, community-driven solutions to complex problems are how we build a stronger local food system.”
Lanning also said when she found out that Phoenix would be using $1.2 million from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to combat hunger during the pandemic, she reached out with a plan to disburse the money to make sure it was supporting local businesses and farms in its effort to feed vulnerable populations.
“Phoenix was looking to feed families, and we reached out and wanted to work with them,” Lanning said at the event.
Through the initiative, Local First was able to source food from 12 Phoenix farms and contracted 45 restaurants to incorporate this food into their dining. They were able to provide over 110,000 meals in compostable containers to forty different distribution centers in Phoenix.
Lanning pointed out the difference in approach to feeding families affected by COVID-19 that was used by Local First in Phoenix and another Arizona city she declined to identify.
The unnamed city also received $1.2 million to feed families. It sourced their food from one non-local company but wasn’t able to support local Arizona farms. They were, however, able to provide 90,000 meals that were all packaged in non-biodegradable styrofoam containers at a distribution center.
Lanning said Local First was able to implement the food program so quickly “because of the great business connections and relationships we’ve made with farmers and local businesses.”
Lanning also talked about Local First Arizona’s second website GoodFoodFinderAZ.com which connects people to places they could get food.
According to its website, Good Food Finder “is a hub where consumers and institutional food buyers alike can learn about and connect with Arizona’s local food providers in order to shorten food supply chains, improve access to local, healthy foods, and strengthen community resilience to create a healthier, sustainable food system in Arizona.”
The site includes a directory of over 800 local farms, farmers and Community Supported Agriculture for people not in the restaurant business. The website also provides useful advice for startup restaurants and food businesses for expanding their customer base, navigating food safety and growing their business.
Thomas Barr, the executive director for Local First said they are continuing to help businesses market during the pandemic while making sure safe curbside pick-up options are available. The Feed Phoenix initiative has ended, but for information on other local initiatives or ways to help local businesses, visit Local First’s website.
Contact the reporter at crubner@asu.edu.
Correction: A previous version of this story identified Local First Arizona as a charity and not a non-profit organization.
