Desert Ridge High School hosted a large meal-packing event on March 28, bringing together 1,179 volunteers to prepare over 180,000 meals for families and individuals facing food insecurity in the East Valley. The school announced on April 6 that the event produced more than 22,500 food bags distributed to local nonprofits including Matthew’s Crossing Food Bank, United Food Bank, Superstition Community Food Bank, and Help Now AZ.
The effort comes at a time when partner organizations report an increased demand for food services. According to data from these groups, Matthew’s Crossing has seen a 30% rise in families seeking help this year while United Food Bank reports over 130,000 pantry visits each month. The need highlights ongoing challenges faced by many Arizona residents who rely on community support.
Funding for the Harvest Pack event was provided through $25,387.50 donated from Light The World Giving Machines in Queen Creek and an additional $26,717 from East Valley community members. These donations enabled Desert Ridge High School and JustServe to work with Harvest Pack—a hunger relief organization—to assemble oatmeal packs destined for distribution by local nonprofits.
Scott Smith, Principal of Desert Ridge High School said: “This event allows our campus to serve as a resource for our East Valley communities. By hosting the Harvest Pack, we provide our students with a practical opportunity to collaborate with regional partners to support our local communities in need.” Maddie Mittelstaedt of United Food Bank added: “The meals packed at this Harvest Pack event are going to be such a gift to countless neighbors! It was incredible to see so many people in the community come together to make such a tangible difference.”
Dennine Eagles of Matthew’s Crossing noted that the family-sized portions allow students participating in programs like Meals to Grow to provide nutritional support at home: “These meal packs are much more than just regular oatmeal packets that you normally see. Each pack can feed a family of four…I can’t explain how grateful we are – it’s going to help us give more.”
According to the official website of Gilbert Public Schools the district promotes student growth through supportive communities and maintains campuses across both Gilbert and Mesa according to their website. The district operates 39 schools serving over 32,000 students according to its official site, is A-rated with multiple awards according to its website, and aims for excellence from preschool through high school graduation as reported by its official site. Dr. Shane McCord has led Gilbert Public Schools as superintendent according to the district’s website.
The collaboration between Desert Ridge High School and nonprofit partners demonstrates how schools can play an active role in addressing food insecurity within their broader communities.
