Funds to Feed Grantee: ICNA Relief

ICNA Relief’s hunger prevention program ensures families have access to the most basic of needs: food. As a provider of halal food and other culturally appropriate foods, ICNA Relief fills a vital role for both Phoenix’s Muslim community and the wider community, feeding almost 1,200 families per month. It offers food distributions at its Tempe location and manages a mobile food pantry that delivers food to families across 14 sites in Phoenix. 

The program spends nearly $25,000 a month on food for community members, including newly arrived Afghan families, college students, and families who hear about its mobile food pantries by word of mouth through their mosque, church, or another community organization. Many appreciate ICNA Relief’s drive-thru model, which provides some anonymity. Others take advantage of ICNA Relief’s free health screenings, which it offers at all food distribution locations.

A Funds to Feed grantee since 2020, ICNA Relief has innovated over the years to meet community needs. Grants have supported everything from leasing refrigerated vans and trucks to transport meat and dairy to establishing a Food Justice Fellowship for youth volunteers. Before the pandemic, ICNA Relief mainly offered non-perishable foods, but renting cold storage with grant funds helped ICNA Relief expand its food offerings. This past year, it used most of the funding to purchase food, responding to the growing issue of food insecurity across Phoenix and ensuring people have high-quality food options. 

ICNA Relief Volunteers

Although the most acute stages of the pandemic have subsided, the underlying need for food persists. The lingering effects of COVID-19 have compounded economic challenges for families. “People got behind during COVID-19,” shares Samantha Labib, an Area Manager at ICNA Relief. “Some were out of work for an extended period. They might now be working again, but inflation is so high that it’s hard for them to catch up.” As a result, ICNA Relief is serving more people working one or more jobs and middle-class families needing assistance, including some who earn just enough not to qualify for food assistance like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). 

Despite the growing need, Samantha is quick to highlight the bright spots – especially the people and community collaborations. ICNA Relief strengthened partnerships during the pandemic with organizations specializing in rental assistance and other social safety net needs, ensuring clients received multiple supports. Membership in the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander American Coalition for Equity, Asian Pacific Community in Action, Empowerment Leadership Friendship Association (ELFA), the American Muslim Women’s Association (AMWA), and partnerships with local mosques and churches have allowed ICNA Relief to forge stronger ties with other grassroots organizations across the state. 

Former ICNA Relief clients who are now in better circumstances have come back to volunteer, bringing their experience full circle. Sam shares, “This grant has been such a blessing – helping us to provide food to families.”