OBJECTIVE: To understand the perspectives of food bank clients affected by type 2 diabetes (T2DM). DESIGN: Semi-structured in-depth interviews conducted with food bank clients. SETTING: Arizona regional food bank. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty English- and Spanish-speaking food bank clients with T2DM or living with a person with T2DM, 45–83-years-old, majority female, Hispanic, and food insecure. PHENOMENON OF INTEREST: Food bank utilization and preferences, and how these related to T2DM management. ANALYSIS: A hybrid thematic analysis combining inductive and deductive reasoning. RESULTS: Three organizing themes emerged from the analysis. First, use of food assistance was influenced by food preferences and ability to pair with existing household foods. Second, desired support included fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, oats, oil, and herbs, and recipes, cooking demonstrations, and social support. Third, factors influencing T2DM management were lack of financial resources, low motivation, insufficient nutrition knowledge, low medication adherence, and multiple co-morbidities. Participants also expressed resilience and interest in improving T2DM management. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Among a predominantly Hispanic food bank sample, produce and protein-rich foods, nutrition and culinary education, and social support were components of a supportive food bank experience and should be considered when designing food-based interventions for T2DM management for food insecure persons.