Sahuarita Food Bank and Community Resource Groundbreaking Feb. 11, 2021
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Jamie Verwys
Reporter
- Updated
After a lot of planning, the Sahuarita Food Bank and Community Resource Center broke ground on a new facility.
Food bank leadership on Thursday as well as community partners held a ceremony to celebrate the beginning of their new future.
Out of caution, guests were limited and the event was recorded to present a virtual ceremony for the public to view that afternoon.
Among those to speak were Sahuarita Mayor Tom Murphy, food bank Executive Director Carlos Valles, board President Penny Pestle, Good Shepherd United Church of Christ Pastor Randy Mayer and Command Sgt. Maj. Fidel Zamora, Arizona National Guard, Senior Enlisted Leader.
The new space will provide them a dedicated building to provide food assistance services as well as career resources and community meeting spaces.
SFB-CRC hopes the new facility will be completed in early 2022.
Sahuarita Food Bank Executive Director Carlos Valles, left, chats with Sahuarita Mayor Tom Murphy at the groundbreaking Thursday.
Community partners and board members sat and waited to help shovel the first piles of soil at the groundbreaking ceremony. From left: Mayor Tom Murphy; Command Sgt. Maj. Fidel Zamora, Arizona National Guard, Senior Enlisted Leader; La Posada CEO Joni Condit; Freeport-McMoRan Community Development Manager Jessica Brack; and Good Shepard Church Pastor Randy Mayer.
SFB-CRC Secretary Jackie Smith, Vice President Curtis Keim and Good Shepard Church Pastor Randy Mayer.
Community and SFB-CRC leadership enjoy the moment after shoveling the first piles of dirt on the lot that will be home to the new building.
SFB-CRC President Penny Pestle speaks during the groundbreaking ceremony.
The idea to build a new facility for the SFB-CRC has been in the works for six years.
Board member Ann Striker watches the presentation.
Jamie Verwys
Reporter
Reporter Jamie Verwys grew up in Sahuarita and graduated from the high school in 2006. She lives in Tucson and graduated from the University of Arizona with a bachelor’s degree in journalism in 2018.
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