PHOENIX — In a warehouse packed from floor to ceiling with food for Arizonans in need, the buzz and hum of Samantha Munoz's machine never seem to stop.
Munoz is a forklift operator at St Mary's Food Bank.
"I know all my hard work is helping the next person. It's just being able to help someone," said Munoz, who's been working there for a year now.
This critical behind-the-scenes work allows St. Mary's to provide meals to thousands of children and families every day.
Milt Liu is the charity's President and CEO. He says the need now is even greater than it was during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As many as 25% of the people who need help are new.
"So many of our new clients are actually senior citizens. What they're telling us is that between inflation, rising food costs, and in some cases taking care of their grandkids, that their
budgets are overwhelmed and therefore they're coming to the food bank for the very first time," explained Liu.
In addition to feeding the hungry, St Mary's also offers hope through their training and employment programs that provide opportunities to job-seekers who may otherwise be overlooked.
"They're coming out of incarceration, or they're recovering from addiction and many employers are a little reluctant to service them," explained Liu, "so we provide life skills, and job skills to help them get their very first job."
Munoz joined the program a year ago and in doing so has turned her life around.
She offers this advice, "You can change and there's people that will help you change."