The holiday season is fast approaching and while that may be a time of celebration for most, there are many in the area who struggle through this season as they try to provide for their families.
While there are no statistics for 2020 or 2021 as of yet due to COVID-19, a 2019 Map the Meal Gap study showed that nearly 21% of Navajo County’s population deals with food insecurity, which is defined as being without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food. To get an understanding of the need in Holbrook, Nancy Barela, the director of Catholic Charities Good Shepherd Center, stated that from February to October of this year the organization served 2,796 meals.
Local organizations work extra hard during the holiday seasons to insure people are fed. According to Barela, the organization provided approximately 200 food boxes for Thanksgiving last Wednesday. “We served 68 Thanksgiving dinners on site and then we made 127 to go hot meals for those who live in the hotels,” she added.
Catholic Charities will also be giving out 55 Christmas food baskets to Native American families in the area courtesy of the Southwest Indian Foundation. For Native families interested in receiving a food basket, please call Catholic Charities at (928) 524-9720. Catholic Charities is located at 120 E. Florida St. in Holbrook.
Barela added that they are also accepting donations such as wrapping paper and tape for Christmas gifts donated by TA Travel Center and Toys for Tots. Those who would like to help wrap and prepare gifts, contact Catholic Charities prior to Dec. 16.
Food boxes are also provided for Christmas through the Holbrook Emergency Food Bank, which expects to provide approximately 100 households this Christmas with food boxes. “We expect to serve about 65 families and 35 individuals or couples,” stated Mike Nilsson, who is on the board for the food bank.
In order to receive a food box, recipients are required to fill out an application that can be picked up at Holbrook City Hall, the Holbrook Public Library or at the Holbrook Emergency Food Bank. Recipients should come to the food bank from 9 to 11 a.m. on Dec. 11, with delivery options available for the home bound. The Holbrook Emergency Food Bank is located in the dining room of the Holbrook Senior Citizens Center, located at 216 Joy Nevin Ave. “The boxes we prepare contain commodities as well as the fixings for a Christmas dinner,” stated Nilsson.
The Holbrook Elks Lodge will also be hosting several events for the upcoming holidays. The organization will be joining with the local Masonic Lodge to take local children to Walmart to purchase a complete set of clothes for as part of the Clothe-A-Child program on Dec. 18. After shopping, the children as well as others are invited to the Elks Lodge for a “Lunch with Santa” event. The Elks will also be preparing Christmas dinners on Christmas Day, Dec. 25. Call Cindy Allen at (928) 241-1796 to volunteer or request a dinner.
In order for those endeavors to be successful, it requires the work of volunteers and the generous donations of community members who provide non-perishable goods, and their time and effort.
To learn more about how to serve the needs in your community, contact your local food bank or church.
