It all started with our founder watching 42 truckloads of perfectly good tomatoes heading for the landfill.
 

In April of 2008, Lon Taylor while waiting for an oil change, was racking his brain with ideas on how he can possibly save the local food bank in Nogales, Arizona as its major donor has given notice that it will not be able to continue its support. He thought that if he can find 3,000 supporters who can donate yearly for $100, it will satisfy the yearly operating budget of $300,000. With this concept, The 3000 Club was conceptualized!

 

Lon approached numerous people with his idea. Among these people was Ethel Luzario, an Entrepreneur and a well-known community leader. Ethel expanded the concept on the membership. As the US economy was taking a down turn, she thought that introducing the concept of networking among small business owners while supporting a non-profit organization would be well received. Networking chapters were born in the cities of Phoenix, Glendale, Peoria, Chandler, Prescott, Surprise and Scottsdale. Members were able to volunteer their services by driving the three-hour drive to Nogales once a month, bringing with them produce back home which they’ve always shared with people they know.

 

Seeing the need for medical supplies from a hospital visited by Lon and Ethel in the Philippines when their Club, the Phoenix Phil-Am Lions Club conducted its eye cataract surgical mission in February 2008, gave birth to another project – the medical reclamation. A partnership was born between the Southwest Medical Aid in Tucson and The 3000 Club. SMA, run by the Salvatorians. In the Summer of 2008, three truckloads of medical supplies worth more than $2M was brought in Tucson for sorting and redistribution.

 

In October of 2010, the Market On the Move (MOM) was born. The 3000 Club partnered with churches and other non-profit organizations to host weekly events where semi-truck loads of produce were brought into the valley where a supporter can donate $10 and receive up to 60 lbs. of produce that they can share with anyone they know who are in need. By end of the winter produce in May 2014, there were more than 50 distribution sites in metro Phoenix and in Tucson with over 30 million pounds of produce have been rescued and redistributed.

 

In October of 2015, The 3000 Club has severed its relationship with the Nogales Food Bank in Nogales and started restructuring its Market On the Move Program. We support Feeding America and the Nogales Community Food Bank and work with them to spread food resources across our country.

In 2014, MOM became more than just produce! We envision a world where nothing useful goes to the landfill but is utilized through redirecting, reusing, refurbishing or recycling to benefit the needy in our communities. Plus, this idea helped with our own waste stream. Working and non-working computers/laptops/electronics, medical supplies and equipment, open-boxed items, overstock is distributed through our humanitarian projects, both local and international.
 
Our MOM’s Corner (Phoenix) & MOMers-shop for a cause (Tucson) allows the public to support our reuse efforts. Here you’ll find open-boxes items, computers, laptops, electronics, clothing, household goods, furniture, small appliances and so much more. Join us and become one of The 3000 and receive access to special merchandise with discounts off the donation price.
 

Non-working items that are not used in our humanitarian projects are broken down and recycled. Produce scraps are offered to local chicken, duck, pig, and worm farms, then composted. Computers, electronics, and even dated medical equipment is disassembled and recycled. Unlike other organizations, we recycle our waste stream as far as we can take it.

Our vision is simple.

Our mission is complex.

Our principles we believe in.

Come join us!