U-Haul® and St. Mary’s Food Bank® have partnered for decades to help make life better for Arizonans — and for good reason. Both organizations have been headquartered in Phoenix since 1967. Both embrace missions centered on the notion that everyone should have access to basic needs.
For U-Haul, that’s affordable and accessible residential mobility. For St. Mary’s, it’s making sure no family in Arizona goes hungry.
That shared mission is why U-Haul once again served as title sponsor of Go Orange Day, dedicated to spreading hunger awareness during National Hunger Action Month. In addition to orange being the signature color of all things U-Haul moving and storage since 1946, it is also the color of hunger awareness, giving the sponsorship a dual meaning for the Company’s Team Members.
Nearly 20 U-Haul volunteers took time out of their schedules on Sept. 10 to work two hours at St. Mary’s volunteer warehouse and the at-risk populations it serves, packing 1,512 family emergency food boxes (21 large pallets each containing 72 boxes) with essential non-perishable food items for delivery across central and northern Arizona. Each food box containers about a three- to four-day supply of food for a family of four.
Food drives were also held at the U-Haul Midtown Campus in Phoenix as well as the U-Haul Technical Center in Tempe leading up to Go Orange Day, and those donations were delivered to the food bank.
Lastly, U-Haul presented St. Mary’s with a check for $15,000. St. Mary’s unique partnerships and purchasing power enable it to turn every dollar into five meals.
In all, U-Haul provided St. Mary’s and Arizona families with more than 108,000 meals through the annual Go Orange Day campaign.
“It always feels good to give back and help those who really need it,” said Dillon Rosenblatt, U-Haul Senior Media & Public Relations Coordinator. “U-Haul and orange go hand in hand, but orange has a different meaning this month: it’s for hunger awareness. Our team is passionate about giving back to the community. This is a great opportunity to make a difference in the lives of our neighbors.”
Local media took notice too, with Fox 10 and AZFamily stopping by for a TV hits during the event.
Food insecurity affects roughly one in five people and one in four children across Arizona. Go Orange Day is a reminder that hunger likely impacts someone you know. U-Haul encourages everyone to get involved.
To learn more about Hunger Action Month or find ways to help, visit St. Mary’s Food Bank at stmarysfoodbank.org.
