The Phoenix Convention Center is committed to giving back to the community year-round, not just during the holidays. Our team coordinates the donation of food, materials and furniture throughout the year as events move in and out of our facility and works with local organizations to ensure those items find a second life with those in need.
“One of our goals is to reduce our footprint and give back to our local organizations supporting our community in need,” said Assistant Director of the Phoenix Convention Center Bob Fingerman. “These efforts support our commitment to sustainability while donating food, furniture and other materials to our neighbors.”
In the past year, the Phoenix Convention Center donated more than 66,000 pounds of food and more than 4,000 pounds of event materials. Both were redirected to support our local Phoenix community, made possible through partnerships with St. Mary’s Food Bank, Habitat for Humanity and the Phoenix Dream Center.
“This is a powerful demonstration of how environmental responsibility and social impact go hand in hand — made possible through strong partnerships, data-driven systems, and a shared commitment to continuous improvement,” said Sustainability Coordinator Sarah Bentley.
Throughout the year, the Phoenix Convention Center works closely with the clients at our venue to ensure we divert and repurpose as much waste as possible. Proactive environmental stewardship is one of the core values of leadership not only at the venue, but also at the City of Phoenix. We know these efforts have a lasting impact.
"We are very appreciative for all the generosity of the donations we receive from the Convention Center that helps feed our clients and staff here at the Dream Center,” said Mitch Patterson, director of kitchen/donations at the Phoenix Dream Center. “Having this ongoing partnership has been a tremendous blessing to our program, specifically to our kitchen staff that dutifully sees to feeding over 150 people three meals every single day. We look forward to continuing this partnership that helps us to help others."
For more information on the sustainability and circular economy practices at the Phoenix Convention Center, visit our sustainability guide.