Providing Hunger Relief in Arizona Since 1967 as the First Food Bank in the World

Pioneering the Fight Against Hunger.

Impacting Our Community  

St. Mary’s Food Bank provides nutritious food to families, children, and seniors struggling to feed themselves and their families. Each year, we distribute food to millions of neighbors throughout Arizona. Our efficient operations and purchasing power allow us to turn $1 donated into 5 meals. 

We provide food, at No COST, to hundreds of partner agencies, who, in turn, give food to people in need. Our agency partners are food pantries, homeless shelters, meal centers, domestic violence shelters, afterschool programs for at-risk children, low-income senior living centers, etc. By donating to St. Mary’s, you are supporting hundreds of local nonprofit organizations and helping millions of people each year. 

This all started right here at the World’s First Food Bank.

In 1967, John van Hengel was volunteering at a local soup kitchen, serving dinner to those in need when a young mother told him that she depended on soup kitchens and food from grocery store dumpsters to feed her children. Van Hengel’s heart was broken. His conversation with the young woman ignited a desire to help hungry families like hers, so he came up with the idea of a “Food Bank,” where individuals and companies with excess food could “deposit” it, and those in need could “withdraw” it.

His local parish, St. Mary’s Basilica in downtown Phoenix, gave him $3,000 and an abandoned building where he was able to turn his dream into reality. In gratitude, he named it “St. Mary’s Food Bank.” He then went on to become the founder of several other food banks across the country and even founded the national organization America’s Second Harvest (known today as Feeding America). Years later, van Hengel also founded the Global Food Banking Network. John van Hengel is rightly referred to as “the father of food banking” and it all started right here at St. Mary’s Food Bank in Phoenix, Arizona.

Today, St. Mary’s Food Bank is one of the largest food banks in the world, and is proud to be a Four Star charity with Charity Navigator and one of Americas Top 100 Charities by Forbes. St. Mary’s is also the Largest Phoenix-Area Nonprofit Organization for Service Assistance by Phoenix Business Journal.

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Making an Impact, One Neighbor at a Time

Our Mission

Bridging the gap for Arizona communities with nourishment for today and hope for tomorrow.

Nourishing Hope Across Arizona's Communities

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Notes from Neighbors We've Helped

“Everything is more expensive at the stores and minimum wage is not going up. With the food I get from St. Mary’s, I can feed my children. I’m thankful I can pack my daughter’s lunch for her every morning.”
Madelyne
Madelyne
“It’s a big relief not having to worry about food, especially with the prices going up.”
Bianca
Bianca
“Things are hard right now and so many people really need the help.”
Leticia
Leticia
“Before I got help from St. Mary’s, I was barely surviving. I would go a long time without eating.”
Sidney
Sidney
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Senior Leadership

At St. Mary’s Food Bank, we’re not just employees; we’re crusaders against hunger in Arizona. Every team member wears their passion on their sleeve, deeply rooted in the belief that everyone deserves a nourishing meal. Dive in and discover the heartbeat behind our mission.

Senior Leadership

Milt Liu

Milt Liu

President and CEO

brings more than 30 years of experience in the food and grocery industry with a notable background at Target and various food manufacturers. His dedication to community service is evident through his 20 years on non-profit boards, focusing on immigrant and refugee communities. In 2023, Milt and his wife moved from Minnesota to Arizona to lead St. Mary’s Food Bank. He has three college-aged sons, all born within 13 months of each other.

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Marcos Gaucin

Marcos Gaucin

Chief Programs Officer

has dedicated more than 18 years to St. Mary’s Food Bank, initially as the Controller in the Finance department before moving to lead the Programs and Agency Services teams, who oversee a network of over 600+ partners, community engagement, mobile distributions, home delivery, and nutrition programs for seniors and children, in addition to the Skills Center, which focuses on workforce development programs. Marcos is a Phoenix native and currently resides in the West Valley.

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Lisa Notaro, CFRE

Lisa Notaro, CFRE

Chief Development Officer

has been with St. Mary’s Food Bank for more than 11 years, leading fundraising, marketing, volunteer, and food drive efforts. Passionate about bridging the gap between donors and community needs, Lisa has a rich history in fundraising, having spent her entire 30+ years career working with nonprofit organizations in Arizona. Lisa is a mother to two grown children and shares her home with her loyal Shiba Inu named Niko.

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Roman Arriola

Roman Arriola

Chief Operations Officer

brings 30 years+ of experience from Shamrock Foodservice and US Foods, with expertise in warehouse and transportation management, focusing on safety, accountability, and efficiency in St. Mary’s operations. An Arizona native, Roman lives in the West Valley with his wife and enjoys traveling to California often to see his two granddaughters.

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Lisa Hickie

Lisa Hickie

Chief People Officer

brings over 30 years of diverse Human Resources experience to St. Mary’s, having worked with esteemed organizations such as Offerpad, Banner Health, and Motorola. In addition to her corporate background, she has spent 8 years as an HR consultant and private business owner. Her extensive experience spans various HR functions, and she has consistently demonstrated a passion for empowering individuals and organizations to achieve their full potential. A proud Arizona native, Lisa resides in the Valley with her husband and feels fortunate to have all three of her grown children settled in and around the state.

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St. Mary’s Food Bank Board of Directors

Officers

Chair

  • Douglas Currault
  • Freeport-McMoRan Inc.

Past Chair

  • Graeme Parkes
  • WillScot

Secretary

  • Mike Donahey, P.C
  • Snell & Wilmer

Treasurer

  • Joe Clancy
  • SunChase Holdings, Inc.

Vice Chair

  • Joanna Zucker

Members

Amiel Sawdaye​

  • Arizona Diamondbacks​

Cheryl Ruggiero​

  • Thunderbirds Charities​

Jacalyn Askin​

  • Askin Consulting​

John Roussel​

  • Shamrock Foods Company, Inc. (retired)​

Lisa Phelps​

  • American Homes 4 Rent​

Laura Worzella​

  • OneAZ Credit Union​

Rona Guymon​

  • Nationwide Financial​

Scott Sibigtroth​

  • Medline Industries (retired)​

Monica Villalobos​

  • AZ Hispanic Chamber of Commerce​

Milt Liu​

  • St. Mary’s Food Bank​

Will Feliz​

  • Duncan Family Farms​​

Emeritus Board

Bob Beake​​

  • Shamrock (ret.)

Erik Olsson​

  • WillScot (ret.)

John Demetra​​

  • Deloitte (ret.)

Marc Isaacs​​

  • Sun Orchard (ret.)

Troy McNemar​

  • McNemar Law

St. Mary’s Food Bank Foundation Board

Carolyn “CJ” Jenkins Bower​

  • Rite of Passage, Inc.​

Joe Clancy, CFA​

  • SunChase Holdings, Inc.​

Stephen Barnes, CFA®, CFP®​

  • Barnes Investment Advisory Inc.​

Matt Harrison​

  • Golden West, A Financial Corp.​

Troy McNemar​

  • McNemar Law

Transparency in Giving

Explore how your contributions make a difference by exploring St. Mary’s financial reports.

View the Financial Reports
Transparency in Giving