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June 7, 2002/Sivan 27 5762, Vol. 54, No. 38
MAZON donates $20,000 to food banks
BETH OLSON
Staff Writer
MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger has awarded $20,000 in grant money to the Association of Arizona Food Banks.
H. Eric Schockman, executive director of MAZON, says the association has been awarded the grant because of the organization's success in both combating hunger and serving as an advocacy group to the state government.
"(The Association of Arizona Food Banks) has continued to deliver daily nourishment to the food banks in Arizona and simultaneously pushed for positive, result-driven legislation that has given expertise to both the governor and the legislature about how to solve the issue of (hunger) in the state of Arizona," Schockman said.
The association is a network of more than 200 food banks and emergency food providers in Arizona. Since 1991, the association has been a beneficiary of $183,000 in MAZON funds.
MAZON is a 17-year-old organization based in Los Angeles that receives money from more than 800 partner synagogues in the United States. The majority of the funds are gathered from Jewish donors who contribute 3 percent of their simchas (celebrations) - current donors number about 70,000.
"Jews have a responsibility to assist those in need before they relish in their own treasures of existence," Schockman said.
MAZON now distributes more than $3.5 million a year in grants, according to Schockman. Most of that money remains in the United States, with 8-9 percent being sent to other countries - mostly to Israel.
Since 1986, MAZON has distributed more than $27 million to anti-hunger organizations and advocacy groups.
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