Ten local dignitaries turned golden shovels on a sunny afternoon February 11, marking the first step toward completion of SFB-CRC’s new building. Board President Penny Pestle and Executive Director Carlos Valles directed them to seats centered on the property south of The Good Shepherd Church where the 14,300 sq. ft. facility should be ready in less than a year.
Seated and introduced were Sahuarita Mayor Tom Murphy, Good Shepherd Pastor Randy Mayer, Army Guard Command Sgt. Major Fidel Zamora, La Posada CEO Joni Condit, Capital Campaign Chair Joyce Finkelstein, Freeport-McMoRan Strategic Community Development Manager Jessica Brack, pro bono project manager Dennis St. John, architect Elizabeth Farkas, and Board Members Curt Keim and Jackie Smith.
Site Superintendent Gene Swayngim, MW Morrissey contractor Matt Watza, and SFB-CRC Board Members Roberta Lopez-Suter and Ann Striker were also introduced. Unable to attend were Leadership Donors Daniel Tylutki and Michael McDonald, as well as Dr. John Lees, representing Del E. Webb Foundation, and Elisa de la Vara with the Arizona Community Foundation, which provided a construction loan.
“I’m so excited that we are finally going to have our own home,” Carlos announced, citing a 150 % growth in clientele during the pandemic. “I get to come to work every day and watch another piece put together.”
The new building will not only house more equipment and store more food, but it will provide space for the Community Resource Center to conduct parenting and job-related instruction for those seeking a better life.
Mayor Murphy praised the effort that brought so many in the community together for a common cause. “It’s just the way we get things done in Sahuarita.”
Penny heaped praise upon the Army Guard and Air Force Guard for all their help. “We could not have stayed open without you,” she said.
“They feel like part of the family, part of the team,” Sgt. Major Zamora responded. “The only way we get through this is to work together.” He noted that some of their personnel have enjoyed the experience so much that they continue to volunteer on their own time.
Pastor Randy reminisced about a tiny food pantry 12 years ago with one church volunteer sitting in a room reading a book to pass the time. “We’ve come a long way since then. It seems like it happened overnight.” Noting Matthew 25:35, When I was hungry, you gave me something to eat, he added that “sometimes people wondered if this was a church running a food bank, or a food bank running a church.”
Penny closed by relating a couple of stories of generosity from donors. A seven-year-old girl asked her mother if she could give $25, and the Del E. Webb Foundation donated $225,000 to the Community Resource Center. “We are so thankful for all who gave to make this a reality.”
We hope you will join them as a new donor (or renew your support) for the building. You can just send a check to Sahuarita Food Bank at 17750 S. La Canada, Sahuarita, AZ 85629, or go to https://www.sahuaritafoodbank.org/donate-now. You can receive the full Arizona tax credit for a contribution of $400 per person or $800 dollars per couple if you contribute before April 15, 2021.
“This is a platform,” she declared, “that helps us to better serve our community. Not just food, but to help people become more economically self-sufficient.”