East Valley food bank seeks monetary donations to repair essential truck
Oct 3, 2018, 4:31 AM
(Apache Junction Food Bank Photo)
(Apache Junction Food Bank Photo)
PHOENIX — The Apache Junction Food Bank, whose mission is to help those in need, was the one asking for help to cover costly repair bills for the truck that keeps the operation going.
The 16-foot refrigerated truck’s drive shaft broke Tuesday morning in Mesa. The estimated cost of $3,500 for repair, towing and rental of a temporary replacement is more than the food bank can afford.
“We are on a slim budget. … We don’t have a rainy-day fund,” JoElle Hurns, the nonprofit food bank’s executive director, told KTAR News 92.3 FM.
The truck is used to collect food — including produce, eggs, milk, meat and other perishable items — from more than a dozen stores.
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“We put around 600 miles a week on that truck and pick up 800,000 pounds of food a year for our families,” Hurns said.
“So if that truck’s not running, we’re not bringing food to the food bank, and we’re not feeding our families.”
The food bank, which serves Apache Junction and the surrounding area, is the largest in the East Valley.
“We take care of 40,000 people a year,” Hurns said.
Donations can be made online at AJFoodBank.org or delivered via mail or in person to 575 N. Idaho Road, Suite 701, Apache Junction, AZ, 85119.
KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Mark Carlson contributed to this report.
