With one in nine Arizonans lacking reliable access to a source of nutritious, affordable food, food insecurity continues to grow along with the cost of living.

And access isn’t the only food issue facing Arizonans. More than half are expected to face a diet-related illness by 2030, including heart disease or diabetes, state officials say.

AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and volunteerism, has granted the Arizona Food Bank Network $180,000 to support 33 on-the-ground volunteers who will serve at food banks across Arizona in hopes of reducing food insecurity.

The grant – funded by the American Rescue Plan and created in response to the Covid pandemic – is part of the AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) program. A pilot program distributed four awards totaling $2 million to hire 100 volunteers in New Hampshire, Maine, Ohio and Texas.

With more than 55 food deserts in Maricopa County, and not enough volunteers for local food banks and homeless shelters, AmeriCorps expanded the initiative to Arizona, Alabama, Arkansas and Puerto Rico.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines a food desert as an area with low access to affordable and nutritious food. ​

“There’s an incredible need that we have across the state to serve one in nine individuals struggling with food insecurity,” said Angie Rodgers, Arizona Food Bank Network president and CEO. “We really need the support of those volunteers who want to give back to their communities from across the state, such as rural communities, here in urban Phoenix and tribes that reside in the Grand Canyon as well.”

Food insecurity is prevalent in Arizona because of several factors, including limited time to cook, living far away from grocers and insufficient financial resources to eat well.

Only 17% of city residents claim to eat five or more servings of fruit and vegetables per day, according to the Phoenix Food Action Plan.

The new grant will place 33 VISTA members in Arizona for the next three years.

VISTA workers serve to alleviate poverty in conjunction with local organizations in the areas they serve. These workers will dedicate a year to help communities through food distribution or by participating in training programs to assist food banks.

These include helping to organize volunteers, packing meal kits and delivering meals.

“These members will strengthen sustainable local food systems, improve the organizational capacity of food pantries and expand engagement, all of which will increase the ability for partners across the state to meet increased demand for nutritious food,” said Jill Sears, AmeriCorps mountain regional administrator.

The VISTA workers will serve 18 sites, including near the Grand Canyon and south and west Phoenix, which are the largest food deserts in the Valley.

Christopher Bodnar, who participated in VISTA in 2020, now works for United Food Bank.

“In Arizona, you can see people looking for food, … so really trying to bring the dignity back into it is one of the goals that we try to have with our agencies,” Bodnar said.

In addition to funding, the initiative also creates a learning community with case studies to inform plans for expanding the program.