Peanut Butter Party Food Drive Begins July 1

Interfaith Community Services (ICS) will launch the seventh annual Peanut Butter Party food drive on July 1. Community partners have already started collecting peanut butter to stock ICS food banks through the end of the year. ICS hopes to collect more than 10,000 jars before the drive ends on August 1.

The Peanut Butter Party began as a donation drive for ICS’s 120 partnering faith communities. Today the event extends to the entire community. Anyone can organize a Peanut Butter Party drive—an individual, family, neighborhood, club or workplace—then bring the proceeds to one of the ICS food banks. It’s a great summer activity to do with kids at home, and an opportunity to introduce young people to serving in the community.

Peanut butter is a staple food at ICS food banks; everyone who comes to pick up food receives a jar. It is a versatile protein source that requires no refrigeration and no cooking facilities, making it a great choice for families with children and clients who are unhoused or in temporary housing. Demand for peanut butter is highest in the summer when kids who qualify for free or reduced-cost school meals are not receiving breakfast and lunch at school.

“Food drives like the Peanut Butter Party are essential for our food banks,” says Joshua Hennings, ICS Food Distribution Manager. “Food distribution is expanding. In May we added two new sites for our Mobile Food Bank, and another new distribution site will begin on July 17. Donations from the community make it possible to continue adding new areas that previously had no food bank access.”

Donated peanut butter is being accepted at two ICS locations:

Northwest Food Bank
2820 W. Ina Rd
Mon, Wed, Fri: 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
Tue, Thu: 8 a.m.-6:30 p.m.
Sat: 8-11 a.m.

Eastside Food Drop-off
and Mobile Food Bank Hub
8701 E. Old Spanish Trail
Mon-Fri, 7 a.m.-1 p.m.

Amazon shoppers can take advantage of free Prime delivery to have donations sent directly to ICS. Peanut butter can be purchased from ICS’s Amazon Wish List (https://a.co/hgU0dhf), with “Front Office Coordinator’s Gift Registry Address” selected as the shipping address. Shoppers can also choose any peanut butter they like and ship it to the ICS Northwest Office at 2820 W. Ina Road, Tucson, AZ 85741.

For more information visit icstucson.org/peanutbutter.