About the project

COVID-19 pandemic amplified the food insecurity problem in Arizona while testing the community’s resilience to handle it.

I am Alisa Ivanitskaya, a graduate journalism student at the University of Arizona, and this project was created in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a Master of Arts degree. The project was intended as an overview of the community effort to strengthen food security in Arizona.

Every organization listed in this work has its unique approach: Mission garden educates the public on agriculture and evokes interest in farming, Heirloom Farmers Markets support local growers and provides access to fresh, nutritious foods, St. Mary’s Food Bank backs people during hard times and Caridad Community Kitchen teaches culinary skills to people and help them start a career.

All of them, however, work together towards a common goal — a healthy community where every member can be free of worries where and when their next meal comes from.

The COVID-19 pandemic followed by the lockdown of the economy has left many people previously food secure seeking support. This project documents how our community has adapted its response to reach and support more people than ever before.

While working on the project, I realized that there is no best single approach or solution to complex problems like food insecurity. It can be handled only through community response and through fostering collaboration and interdependence.

All projects listed are connected through people they serve, but also trough volunteers and partnerships. Santa Cruz River Farmers' Market organized by the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona provides space for Tucson Village Farms to sell its produce and Beyond project that leads walks and volunteering projects in Mission Garden.

Mission Garden donates part of its harvest to the Iskashitaa Refugee Network, that helps refugees in our community. The Iskashitaa Refugee Network sells its products through distributors like Laura’s Local who I met at Santa Cruz River Farmers' Market and Heirlooms Farmers Market at Rillito Park. Tucson Village Farms is an outreach program of the University of Arizona, that has a complex approach to foster food security on campus through Campus Pantry, cooking classes and demonstrations, and educational programs at Heirloom Farmers Markets.

Campus Pantry also receives support from the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona in a form of every week’s donations of bread and produce. Another program of the Community Food Bank featured in this project is Caridad Community Kitchen that distributes free lunches in our community, prepares food for Meals on Wheels program, and teaches culinary skills to people who otherwise have few chances to be employed.

St. Mary’s Food Bank, the first food bank in the world, set an example for other similar programs, including our Community Food Bank. By the time of finishing the project, the COVID-19 pandemic was still going on and the situation was changing daily. The adaption limits of the system remain unclear as well as the scope and toll of the pandemic on food security.