JustServe volunteers and local community organizations partnered with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Thursday, Aug. 6, to deliver a much-needed semi-truckload of food to 11 local organizations serving the community’s most vulnerable populations. The donation, containing 40,000 pounds of food with the capacity to provide 33,000 meals, represents a significant boost to regional food security efforts during a time of heightened need.
The food distribution reached a wide network of community partners, including local food banks, senior centers, and emergency assistance programs: Holbrook Emergency Food Bank, Bread of Life Mission in Holbrook, Silver Creek Senior Center and Food Bank, the ReCenter, Salvation Army, Tonto Basin Food Bank, Round Valley Food Bank, Shepherd’s Kitchen, Heber/Overgaard Food Bank and Senior Center, and Fishers of Men for Veterans.
“Thank you so much! That was the perfect amount of food today. Just perfect timing too. We are so grateful,” said Ryan Lowe with the ReCenter, reflecting the urgent need these organizations face in serving their communities.
The demand for food assistance remains consistently high across the region. Deb Bradford, director of the Heber/Overgaard Food Bank, emphasized the critical nature of such donations. “I can’t begin to tell you how much we truly appreciate what you are giving us. As you probably know, our demand is very high right now and doesn’t seem to be lessening,” she said.
Beyond the tangible impact of the food itself, the partnership has strengthened community relationships.
A Coordinated Effort
The donation reflects The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ commitment to follow Jesus Christ by caring for those in need regardless of faith, background, or beliefs.
Caring for those in need is a central part of the church’s efforts to provide relief, build self-reliance and strengthen communities. The church’s welfare system draws from surplus resources at its welfare farms, orchards, processing facilities, and storehouse systems. Food is grown, prepared, and distributed through coordinated efforts involving employees, missionaries, volunteers, and professional transportation teams.
The distribution was made possible by the dedicated work of several volunteers, including missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as well as the generous support of KSI Metals, who provided facility access and forklift equipment essential to unloading and distributing the food.
The effort reflects an ongoing commitment among community organizations, volunteers, JustServe and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to care for those in need and strengthen communities through service. As local organizations continue to experience high demand for food assistance, partnerships such as these make all the difference.
For local residents facing food insecurity, the arrival of such resources provides immediate relief during a challenging time. The participating organizations emphasize that ongoing support from donors and partners like JustServe and the LDS Church remains critical as demand continues to rise across the region.
