Rancho Sahuarita and the Sahuarita Food Bank are joining together for a new program called “Neighbor to Neighbor Sahuarita”, designed to provide a neighborhood-based regular food collection source for the Sahuarita Food Bank & Community Resource Center (SFB-CRC). This enables members of the Rancho Sahuarita community to help feed hungry children and families of the area, many of which depend on resources like the Sahuarita Food Bank to get by.
Lora Nastase is the Sahuarita Food Bank Coordinator for the program, and will work alongside Kelly Kyper, Clubhouse Director for Rancho Sahuarita, to recruit Neighborhood Coordinators. These coordinators will help find households to participate as regular food donors for the program. These food donors are asked to commit to buying one or two extra needed non-perishable items on their regular grocery trips, which they will collect in designated bags they are given. Neighborhood Coordinators will reach out to donors regularly with suggestions as to most-needed items, as well as with updates and reminders.
Every two months, on the second Saturday of the month, Food Donors will then be asked to bring their bags to a designated nearby pocket park where they will be greeted by their Neighborhood Coordinator and can drop off their bag of donations. Families will then be provided with an empty bag. For those who are unable to drop off the food, special arrangements can be made with their Neighborhood Coordinator for pick-up. All donations will then be transported back to SFB-CRC by volunteers and provided to those in need.
To continue meeting the growing needs of the community, construction is underway on the new home of the Sahuarita Food Bank & Community Resource Center, which broke ground earlier this year. The new facility “…will house all food bank operations and provide spaces for family support programs, workforce development programs, and other much needed services in our community.” It is on track to open in January of 2022.
Kelly Kyper spoke of the program saying, “”Neighbor to Neighbor Sahuarita” is going to be an amazing program for families in this community, and I am excited that the Sahuarita Food Bank reached out to us to collaborate in helping those in need. Rancho Sahuarita’s residents never fail to pull together and support one another, and this is just another way to show that a simple gesture from one neighbor can have such a great impact on another.”
The Sahuarita Food Bank still currently accepts donations at its existing facility, at 17750 S. La Cañada Drive in Sahuarita. More information about how to donate or to volunteer can be found at sahuaritafoodbank.org.