MARCH 6, 2013
Happy 25th to the Foothills Food Bank!
The Foothills Food Bank is celebrating a very special milestone this year – 25 years of assisting those in need. Their plan to move into their permanent “home” on Hidden Valley Drive in May is another reason for celebration.
Early records are a little sketchy, but in 2002 the average number of “families” was between 30 and 35 a month, and the space they worked out of was one 300 sq. ft. room, with 2 volunteers and Executive Director Pam DiPietro per shift. They were open 5 days a week, but only for 3 hours per day.
In the new facility the food bank will be open 5 days a week 6 hours per day and 2 evenings a week for families to come for food. Between 7 and 10 volunteers will work each shift. Early in the morning, seven days a week, they are open for volunteer drivers who pick up food donations from local stores and deliver them to the food bank where other volunteers collect, sort and put them away. The Foothills Food Bank now serves between 350 and 375 families a month.
New programs will be offered in the new facility. CLEAR (CL ient E ducation A nd R esource) volunteers will assist families and individuals with information about much needed resources. A Snack Pac Program will be launched in September. Snack Pac students who are on the “free” food program at school will receive nourishing food for the weekends.
Another vital program will be Team Job Search, helping those seeking employment.
All of this means additional program and overhead costs in order to carry out their plans. Our community has been most supportive and they need our continued support, with both donations to continue to serve and donations to eliminate mortgage costs and renovation costs.
Your donations are greatly needed and truly appreciated. Please visit SonoranNews.com or FoothillsFoodBank.com for a Building Fund Donation Pledge Form. You are welcome to send donations directly to Foothills Food Bank, P.O. Box 715, Carefree, AZ 85377 or donate online.
