ARIZONA NEWS
Arizona food bank devastated by fire, looking to rebuild
PHOENIX – An Arizona food bank is working to rebuild and replenish after a devastating fire.
The Maricopa Pantry’s equipment and storage facility was destroyed in Monday’s blaze, the nonprofit group said on Facebook. ABC15 reported that about 40,000 pounds of food was lost.
The food bank is part of the Mountain View Community Church in Maricopa. The church building lost power but otherwise was “relatively unscathed,” according to the pantry’s Facebook page.
A GoFundMe campaign was created to raise money toward getting the operation up and running again.
Maricopa Pantry is one of 800 agency partners of Phoenix-based St. Mary’s Food Bank. St. Mary’s said it was prepared to dispatch its mobile food pantry program to Maricopa for emergency service if needed.
Maricopa Pantry helps more than 1,000 families each week, according to ABC15.
“They really relied on this food bank, and I don’t know where they are going to be without it,” Mike Connelly, president of the organization, told the Phoenix TV station.
“Here in this part of Pinal County, there isn’t really much. We’re a food desert.”
