About 600 men and women pick up bag lunches, and another 200 food packs are distributed to families every day at Casa María soup kitchen.
The hungry start arriving at 6:30 a.m. for coffee and sweets, if pastries are available, said Brian Flagg, coordinator for the soup kitchen.
Sack lunches and family food packs are distributed between 8 a.m. to noon from the operation that is run from a small house at the corner of East 25th Street and South Third Avenue, on the northeastern edge of the city of South Tucson.
Rebecca Moreno was eating hot-dog-and-potato soup out of a Styrofoam cup last Thursday morning. "I come and eat a meal here when I can," said Moreno, 38, who sells tamales door-to-door and is hoping to soon buy school supplies for her two daughters.
The recession has made tamale sales tough.
She said her husband, a carpenter by trade, is working as a landscaper but no longer can find work every day.
"We are busier and our work is more intense as a result of the recession," Flagg said. "But our numbers have been climbing over the past couple of years."
Every Monday at 10 a.m., a priest visits the soup kitchen and celebrates Mass outdoors. Casa María was founded in 1981 by the Rev. David Innocenti, a Carmelite priest. Innocenti retired in 1985, and the soup kitchen was taken over by Flagg.
It is part of the Catholic Worker Movement. The independent ministry is under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson.
"Casa María is one of the great blessings in the Tucson community where people reach out to literally the poorest and weakest in our community," said Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas.
"The holy father, Pope Benedict XVI, just wrote a new encyclical letter, Caritas in Veritate, that says charity is at the heart of what it means to be a church. Charity is what people of faith do, especially reaching out to others in need. Our community oftentimes volunteers at Casa María and has an opportunity to share our blessings with those who are struggling," Kicanas said.
U.S. Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva, a member of the Congressional Hunger Caucus, is sponsoring a food drive for Casa María through Aug. 25 as part of a national campaign to raise awareness about hunger and poverty. On Aug. 26, Grijalva is holding a 9:30 a.m. news conference at Casa María and is also volunteering at the soup kitchen that morning.
"During these tough economic times, places such as Casa María are faced with decreasing donations," Grijalva said in a news release.
"Every day people go hungry because they do not have the means to provide food for themselves or their families. We as a community must help one another, and I encourage our community to donate what they can," Grijalva said.
FOOD DRIVE
• What: The Congressional Hunger Caucus is working to raise awareness about hunger and poverty. U.S. Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva, a caucus member, chose Casa María soup kitchen in the city of South Tucson as the recipient of a food drive and is asking the community for its support.
• When: The food drive runs through Aug. 25
• Where: Canned goods and nonperishable items can be dropped off at Grijalva's Tucson office, 810 E. 22nd St., Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Checks made out to Casa María or donations of sandwich meats, bread, fruit and meat for soups can be dropped off at Casa María, 401 E. 26th St., South Tucson, AZ 85713, between 8 a.m. and noon.
• Information: Grijalva's office at 622-6788 or Casa María at 624-0312
