“Making a Difference” with Grace Astor from United Food Bank

Each week on “Making a Difference,” our host, Wayne Veldsman, interviews people making a difference in their community. Today, Wayne had the pleasure of talking with Grace Astor from United Food Bank.

United Food Bank unites communities to alleviate hunger. We distribute over 57,000 meals daily to over 150 partner agencies across Arizona.

To learn more, check out https://www.unitedfoodbank.org

How did you get started in your field or work? I was a hairstylist at the time and also working in the events industry with Steve Levine Entertainment. I had a lot of fun and was really good with getting people involved however I saw people beginning to get addicted to drugs and alcohol at these events so I had the idea that I wanted to be a part of fundraising events that did good for the world and had a positive impact. The next day I signed up at ASU to get my degree in Nonprofit Leadership and Management and my career began!

How does your company inspire others? We inspire others by connecting people together with what they are passionate for, making people feel like family, and giving a fun and exciting experience volunteering while making large impacts. We also inspire people that whatever they have to give whether its your time, a can, a dollar, it all adds up and collectively that is how we make huge impact!

What are your biggest goals in the next 6 to 12 Months for your business? For United Food Bank, we just purchased an 80,000 sq ft warehouse next to our main warehouse which will allow us to host multiple volunteer projects, create a choice pantry that serves mesa directly, and be able to create a space that we can bring in our partner agencies to help with wrap around services that will not only put a band aid on hunger but help fight and solve poverty which is the root cause of hunger.