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SE Arizona Food Bank loses contract to feed tri-county area:
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Ainslee S. Wittig/Range News Cuts hours, food, employees
By Ainslee S. Wittig/Arizona Range News The Southeast Arizona Food Bank has cut hours and employees this week because it failed to win a bid for a contract from the Arizona Department of Economic Security to feed the area's needy. The food bank has served Cochise, Graham and Greenlee counties since 1987. Prior to 2004, it also served Santa Cruz County. "We didn't get the DES contract. Neither did Nogales' Borderland Food Bank. The Community Food Bank of Tucson underbid us," said Executive Director Rey Martinez Sr. Despite major cutbacks and rumors of impending closure, the SEAFB Executive Board of Directors "met and decided we are going to stay open until at least June 2008," Martinez said. The new hours, which began Monday, are Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to noon. Previous hours were from Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., he said. "We will still be giving out emergency food boxes and food collected during the week," he added. However the food bank will not be bringing food to the numerous places in the tri-county area. "We followed a monthly schedule bringing produce and commodities four times a month to Benson and Douglas Food Bank; three times a month to Clifton and Maranatha Ministries in Douglas; two times a month to Sierra Vista's St. Vincent de Paul's, Thatcher, Pima and Odd Fellows; and once a month to Bowie, San Simon, Assembly of God in St. David, Dragoon's Wynne Chapel, Cochise Post Office, Mt. Graham Health Dept., Forgache House in Huachuca City and Tombstone, Women's Transition in Bisbee, Bylas, Duncan and House of Hope in Douglas," Martinez said. "All of this will be cut out except for Willcox." Martinez said the SEAFB's and Borderland in Nogales' four-year contract together totaled more than $300,000 to help pay for distribution, truck drivers, insurance and USDA commodities. It also allowed the food bank to use forklifts and electric jacks and other equipment from the state. That equipment was picked up by the Arizona Department of Transportation on Friday. "We're not able to do any distributions without those," he said. "I still have two trucks, but I can't pick up or distribute food or produce without the forklifts." Martinez said he may be down to one paid employee after having up to 16 in the past. "I've been here for 21 years. This has been my life," Martinez, 74, said. "I've done it all with money I've raised - that's how much I care about this place. This is where my heart is." Sen. Marsha Arzberger, D-Willcox, said the DES Procurement Board approved the bid of Community Food Bank in Tucson in early August -- a decision which Arzberger and three other legislators protested because a loophole was found in their legislation regarding distribution from rural food banks. "The protest was denied. But we're not too fond of them going around us. As legislators, we still hold the purse strings. We'll insist they treat rural areas right in the distribution of food. We'll be watching to make sure the food gets down there," Arzberger said Friday. Arzberger said that SEAFB's not being a member of such programs as Second Harvest, and holding few local fundraising drives were some of the reasons it did not win the contract. She said she asked the SEAFB Board of Directors to reconsider its decision to not belong to Second Harvest earlier this year. "The Board's decision not to belong to Second Harvest limited the food Southeast received," she said. Arzberger added, "I believe the Association of Arizona Food Banks was trying to close the Southeast Arizona Food Bank. They have been suggesting it for two years. But we had no idea it could be done (by DES's procurement Board) by not renewing the contract. The contracts are a routine thing. Normally, one region doesn't compete with another." "Community Food Bank in Tucson has about 75 employees, and wrote a more professional RFP (request for proposal). They have additional food supplies, such as Second Harvest and other programs. Whether they can deliver or not is questionable. But if they end up with good distribution, then that's what we need," she said. Arzberger's husband, former Sen. Gus Arzberger, solicited the donation of the building used by SEAFB, which had been owned by Arizona Public Service, when they left. He also passed the first funding for the Gleaning Program, back when it used prisoners to harvest excess produce, she said. In November 2003, some former food bank employees brought up allegations of mismanagement and by March 2004, a consultant was hired by the board of directors to investigate. Clark H. Skeans, formerly with the Statewide Gleaning Project, concluded after interviewing employees that there was "strong evidence" of nepotism, lack of an approved inventory control system, misuse of grant monies, and other problems. Martinez said he made some changes following the investigation, but it is not known what changes were made. In June 2004, the Association of Arizona Food Banks removed the Southeast Arizona Food Bank from its association. Despite the findings three years ago, SEAFB still has supporters. Rochelle Rider Figueroa, WIC/Nutrition Manager and School Gleaning Coordinator for Graham and Greenlee County Health Departments, wrote a letter in support of the SEAFB Aug. 27, after the food bank's contract was lost. "December through May, we distribute produce received from the Southeastern Arizona Food Bank through our school gleaning program to over 1,600 families twice a month in Graham County and 1,000 families twice a month in Greenlee County. In addition, year around we refer families enrolled on the Women, Infant, Children Supplemental Nutrition Program and elderly to local foods banks for produce and commodities. "I am writing this letter because I am concerned that a food bank located in Tucson may be unable to meet the needs of our families in Graham and Greenlee Counties. Rey Martinez, director, Southeastern Arizona Food Bank, has done an excellent job ensuring our orders are filled and delivered on time. ... Please consider your decision carefully as many families and elderly will be affected by inconsistent or failed food delivery," Rider said. John David Arnold, CEO/Founder of Portable Practical Educational Preparation, Inc., based in Tucson, also wrote a letter dated Aug. 3. "To think a Tucson-based food bank can ever successfully take over an established rural program is absurd. Furthermore, decades of work to establish community-based food bank will be uprooted. Gov. Janet Napolitano recently visited the Southeast Arizona Food Bank and lauded them for the job they have been doing. "I trust that this unfortunate situation will be reviewed and rectified as the consequences are very damaging to the rural communities of Southern Arizona," Arnold said. With just two and a half weeks to appeal the decision, Martinez said he would need a lot of support from the community and the City of Willcox to change the decision. "It would be really helpful if the city would pay for utilities, which cost about $600 per month. I had to turn my refrigerators off. I will have to get rid of food that comes in immediately. We can't store it," he said. Martinez said, "We are only able to stay open because of anonymous donors. The only other funds we make are from the little store. We hope people will come in and support us at that store," he said. He said the food bank will not be able to have Thanksgiving or Christmas dinners without more support. "We won't have enough food. Last year we gave out 550 Christmas boxes. We won't be able to do that either." Martinez said he likely won't retire until June 2008, the end of the time period set by the Executive Board of Directors to keep the food bank open. Paula Smith, 55, says she has known Martinez for 33 years and is one of the three remaining employees at the food bank. "He needs all the support he can get. We won't be giving out commodities anymore. People here and in the surrounding areas relied on it," Smith said Friday during the final commodities distribution. Frank Rayos, a volunteer since 2000, said he will continue picking up bread and milk locally (Safeway and Food City) and distributing it at the food bank four days a week. He takes the signatures of all that come in to get food. "It won't be enough for the 230 to 270 people that come each time we give out commodities," he said. "And I don't think (the Community Food Bank of Tucson) can handle the 36 food banks that we distribute to each month. They are not hurting Rey; they're hurting the people in four counties." Reporter Carol Broeder contributed to this article.
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