APACHE JUNCTION — The Apache Junction Foodbank volunteers annually donate 14,000 hours of manpower. Without them, the food bank could not do what it does.
About 14-20 volunteers from a pool of about 145 work daily for free.
They give 1 million pounds of food to 40,000 qualified residents of the East Valley area each year.
Volunteers weigh, record, sort, bag and assemble grocery carts filled with food to distribute to about 80 families of varying size each day, four days a week.
Many volunteers have been with the Food Bank for five, 10, 15 and some even 20 years.
It takes at least 30 minutes of one volunteer’s time to feed one person for five days.
The Food Bank recently celebrated about 100 volunteers who came to the Volunteer Appreciation Beach Party in February at Lost Dutchman State Park.
Those awarded with top honors for donated time in 2017 were in individual and family categories and include:
Individuals:
Dillon McKinster, 621 hours; Maxine Roy, 536 hours; and, Nicki Kraft, 409 hours.
Families:
Dave Stelzner and Nicki Krafft, 709 hours; Jack and Robyn Malgieri, 627 hours;
Diane and Gail Pence, 485 hours; and, Amy, David and Tanner Combs, 323 hours.
Thanks to the Southwest Surfers, a locally based band known for its Beach Boys tribute music and classic hits from the ’50s and ’60s, for the entertainment.
The stores that helped provide food and other items also work on many projects throughout the year. They include Walmart, Fry’s Food and Drug and Safeway.
Raffle prizes and donations from other businesses came from Hacker’s Grill, Village Inn, Babbo Italian Eatery-Mesa, Handlebar Pub & Grill, US Nails & Spa, Arnold Auto Center, Superstition Mountain Museum, Friends of Lost Dutchman State Park, Apache Junction Tires & Service, Dirtwater Springs, CVS and Kneaders.
