Tuesday, December 3 is Giving Tuesday and it’s an incredible way to show your love and support to local organizations here in the city.
Here’s a list of just a few spots in town that contribute to the local food scene or support it in one way or another — show them some love back this year.
Also, head over to givingtuesday.org if you’re in the loving mood to give back to even more folks around the globe.
Bumper Crop Café
Food Truck
“Bumper Crop Café is a registered 501(C)(3) nonprofit organization, raising funds for the purchase of a commercial food truck that will serve healthy, plant-based meals for free to Tucson residents facing food insecurity. While free-meal food trucks do exist in some major cities, there are none in the state of Arizona, which is among the top 10 states most affected by hunger.”
To make a donation, visit bumpercropcafe.org.
Casa Maria Tucson
401 E. 26th St.
“We are devoted to helping our brothers and sisters in need. Help us continue our work for liberty, justice, and peace.” Casa Maria accepts all types of donations: cash, food, clothing, hygiene products, and your time (you can volunteer).
To make a donation, visit casamariatucson.org.
The Center for Biological Diversity
“Our fight in defense of wildlife and wild places — and the laws we depend on to secure their safety — is ramping up. The Center for Biological Diversity will be taking the initiative in defense of the natural world. We’ll keep doing what we’ve always done: win for the wild. We’ve secured Endangered Species Act protection for more than 760 species and more than 700 million acres of protected critical habitat.”
To make a donation, visit act.biologicaldiversity.org.
Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona
3003 S. Country Club Rd.
The Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona responds to the root causes of hunger and seeks to restore dignity, health, opportunity, and hope to people living in poverty. The Food Bank’s main mission is to change lives in the communities we serve by “feeding the hungry today and building a healthy, hunger-free tomorrow.”
To make a donation, visit communityfoodbank.org.
Community Gardens of Tucson
5049 E. Broadway Blvd. #300
Keep in mind that your gift to local farms and organizations could qualify you for the Arizona Charitable Tax Credit program. Financial support allows them to continue serving the needs of Tucson’s gardening community, including those who lack the financial means to grow their own food.
To make a donation, visit communitygardensoftucson.org.
Flowers & Bullets
3538 E. Ellington Pl.
Flowers and Bullets is a local organization and farm that’s all about reclaiming and amplifying “cultural roots through sustainability, art, and rebellion to liberate, heal, and empower the community.” Flowers and Bullets is a grassroots collective that got its start back in 2012, and strives to create outlets for the community, highlighting the “life we live and the places that we come from.”
To make a donation, visit flowersandbullets.com.
Iskashitaa Refugee Network
3736 E. Second St.
“Iskashitaa Refugee Network creates opportunities to integrate UN refugees into the Southern Arizona community while educating the public and strengthening the local food system, reducing local food waste, and increasing food security.”
To make a donation, visit iskashitaa.org.
Local First Arizona
“Your donation will help provide educational programming and technical assistance in English and Spanish to locally-owned businesses across the state and help entrepreneurs businesses prepare for the future by finding sustainable solutions to lessen their business’s impact on Arizona’s limited resources. Year-round, you demonstrate your values when you buy local, eat local, volunteer local, and give local.”
To make a donation, visit localfirstaz.com.
Mission Garden
946 W. Mission Ln.
This year, grace the garden with your gifts. Mission Garden, located below Sentinel Peak is one of Tucson’s most precious destinations. It is a space for bringing people together to share cultural perspectives and knowledge, for learning and experimenting, and through growing desert-adapted heritage foods with the loving care of many hands to also nurture the spirit of our community.
To make a donation, visit missiongarden.org.
Mobile Meals of Southern Arizona
3355 S. Sixth Ave.
Mobile Meals has been around since 1968 but in July 2023, the new MMSA Kitchen opened, with the “promise of offering food choice and affordable meal options to anyone who needs them.”
To make a donation, visit mobilemealssoaz.org.
Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance (SAACA)
4500 N. Oracle Rd. #110
“SAACA believes that every culture has a history and tradition to honor. This common thread allows us to communicate across cultures in a universal language and understand one another in a different way. By supporting local arts and creativity, we animate our city with culture, empathy, and create a stronger sense of place. Your individual investment in a vibrant Arizona today unlocks the creative potential for each of us tomorrow.”
To make a donation, visit saaca.org.
Taproot Collaborative
“Taproot Collaborative undertakes Earth regenerating projects that offset climate change, restore biodiversity, and foster resilient people, communities and environments. Your generous contribution furthers our efforts to collaborate with our indigenous partners to regenerate a sacred spring and precious forest in Southeastern Arizona. Help us offset climate change, restore forests, and foster resilient ecosystems. Thank you!”
To make a donation, visit taprootcollaborative.org.
Tucson City of Gastronomy (TCOG)
“Tucson City of Gastronomy (TCoG) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization with a board of directors formed in 2016 to manage the UNESCO City of Gastronomy designation of Tucson and its southern Arizona foodshed. Its mission is ‘Growing a sustainable desert community by supporting our creative food cultures.’ Board members represent key stakeholders in the community and local food system.”
To make a donation, visit tucson.cityofgastronomy.org.
The Tucson Family Food Project
2307 N. Catalina Ave.
“Imagine a Tucson where every child goes to bed with a full stomach and wakes up with the knowledge and skills to nourish themselves and their families. This vision can become a reality with your help. At The Tucson Family Food Project, we are dedicated to ending childhood food insecurity in Tucson by empowering children with essential cooking skills. Our program teaches kids how to prepare healthy, affordable meals at home, fostering self-sufficiency and lifelong wellness habits – giving them their best chance at living a happy and healthy life.”
To make a donation, visit thetucsonfamilyfoodproject.org.
Tucson Village Farm
4210 N. Campbell Ave.
When you get to the farm, look for the windmill, go around to the back, and then check out the organic farm-fresh goodness ready to take home to your table (during U-Pick Tuesdays). To many, it’s a satisfying experience wandering the fields, soaking in the views of the Catalinas, and getting the chance to harvest your own food.
“Your matched gift goes directly back into our farm-to-table programming for kids. Your support helps ensure that Tucson Village Farm will continue to grow for the next 15 years and beyond!”
To make a donation, visit give.uafoundation.org.
Watershed Management Group (WMG)
1137 N. Dodge Blvd.
“Watershed Management Group (WMG) develops community-based solutions to ensure the long-term prosperity of people and health of the environment. We provide people with the knowledge, skills, and resources for sustainable livelihoods.”
To make a donation, visit watershedmg.org.
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Article written by:
Matt Sterner
More about MattAt a very young age, Matt Sterner was gifted with the artistic ability to masterfully roll a burrito to the highest of standards, but the wrapped medley of delicious innards wasn’t his first love. Matt’s first true love was a combination of reading, writing, and creating. He grew up reading comics, the ingredients list of his shampoo and conditioner bottles, choose-your-own-adventure books, and the Scrabble dictionary — something he found useful when challenging his grandmother to a game.
He attended college at New Mexico State University and graduated with a degree in Digital Filmmaking. One of his favorite classes was screenwriting because he became responsible for the story’s birth before it came to life on-screen. After school, Matt took on numerous positions at a local television station in Tucson. From dealing out stories about heartbreak to producing “fluffier” content for a lifestyle broadcast, he learned what it takes to adapt to the many emotions the world of media can stir. Since 2017, Matt has dabbled in the culinary world of Tucson as well as San Diego, California from time to time.
If you’re in the mood for strange stories, head over to his pride and joy, wonkytimes.com. And in case you’re curious — yes, after all of this time, he still manages to roll a killer burrito.
