AZ Blue Health Choice Team Expands Food Access for Families
What happens when a food pantry becomes a community hub for learning, cooking, and connection?
A kitchen that does a lot more than cook
Local First Arizona manages four community kitchens in Mesa, Phoenix, and Glendale, with two more under construction. Each kitchen combines food pantry services, nutrition education for kids and adults, and on-site community gardening. The goal is simple: make healthy food and cooking skills more accessible in food-insecure communities, especially for children learning early habits. And with March recognized as National Nutrition Month, the work happening in these kitchens feels especially timely, showing what nutrition education looks like when it's rooted in community, culture, and support.
What Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Health Choice (AZ Blue Health Choice) made possible
“The funding has changed our food access program. On a good day, we would get 5 dozen eggs. Now, we are able to make sure every household gets eggs, milk, and lean protein,” said Lisa Castrichini, Manager of Healthy Food Initiatives.
With $25,000 in 2025, Local First Arizona expanded and standardized its Mesa community kitchen model across additional locations.
AZ Blue Health Choice helped:
- Purchase evidence-based nutrition curriculum for children and adults
- Train instructor on the evidence-based curriculum which emphasized trauma-informed nutrition.
- Launch bi-monthly cooking and nutrition classes for kids
- Add cooking supplies for hands-on learning
- Distribute 500 pounds of nutrient-dense food from local farmers each month, including milk, eggs, and meat
From October to December 2025 alone, the program served an average of 160 individuals, 40 households, and 10 children per cooking class.
- Kids reported eating more vegetables and drinking less soda after completing the new curriculum.
- Residents loved the Harvest of the Month recipe series, and it encouraged more families to sign up for cooking classes.
- Families shared that pantry staples help “stretch our dollars,” which is especially important for residents managing chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
- Launch Glendale pantry in December 2025, serving over 200 individuals
- Create the Harvest of the Month series with recipes and produce tips for the food pantry.
The program also added culturally meaningful ingredients, including blue cornmeal from a Navajo-owned company, to pair with Harvest of the Month recipes.
Why it matters
When families can access healthy food, learn practical skills, and build community in the same place, it supports healthier choices that last, one meal at a time. That’s what making healthy eating easy and inspiring can look like — meeting Arizonans where they are with real support.
To learn more about Local First’s food initiatives, visit Devour Good Food.
See where else AZ Blue is making an impact.
