SIERRA VISTA, Ariz. (KGUN) — Nearly 400 families in Cochise County will have Thanksgiving meals this year thanks to a local nonprofit working to fill gaps in food assistance for children.
Peach's Pantry, Inc. began distributing Thanksgiving meal packages to families through schools in Huachuca City, Sierra Vista and Palominas on Thursday morning. The nonprofit's founder and executive director, Sarah Pacheco, said this year marks their largest distribution ever.
"This is the largest year we've ever had," Pacheco said.
According to the Arizona Department of Economic Security, one in four children rely on SNAP nutrition assistance. Peach's Pantry works specifically with schools to reach families who might otherwise fall through the cracks of traditional food assistance programs.
"It was one group that, they were kind of falling through the cracks. And it was a something that was being filled by school staff, who are already stretched, who are already overworked and underpaid," Pacheco said.
The organization has seen a significant increase in demand, with requests going up by 80 people per week since the recent government shutdown. Even though government services have resumed, families are still recovering from the impact.
Volunteer Reachel Friend said the food packages help families get through challenging times.
"The little bit we give them actually helps out on a Thursday and sometime on the weekend, they might not have the things they need and the bags that we provide for them or get them through the weekend," Friend said.
All food distributed by Peach's Pantry comes from community donations, making the effort a collaborative community response to local food insecurity.
"It's a community effort. It was a lot of people coming together," Pacheco said. “In addition to that increase in recalls, request for help, we've had a huge outpouring of support from the community that has just has blown me away.”
The final Thanksgiving meal deliveries will be completed Friday following another turkey donation to the organization.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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