PHOENIX – Sometimes, progress can be measured.
Thanks to 30 U-Haul volunteers, St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance is 1,200 boxes closer to distributing food to hungry mouths throughout the Valley.
On April 18, U-Haul Team Members sacrificed their Saturday morning for U-Haul Company’s monthly volunteer day and met at the food bank.
Team Members were stationed in assembly-line formation, tasked with placing food items into boxes: cereal, pasta, rice, protein (meat meal or peanut butter) and cans of vegetables and fruit. Box after box went down the assembly line toward the taping machine. After passing through the machine, the boxes were stacked on a pallet.
U-Haul volunteers were very efficient – occasionally too efficient as the assembly line needed to be held up while the tape machine was fixed. Despite the momentary troubles, Team U-Haul displayed exceptional spirit.
“It’s addicting,” said Jason Bressler, U-Haul Manager of Community Relations. “If you volunteer once, you will want to keep coming back. It’s the greatest way to spend your time.”
U-Haul volunteers at least twice a year at St. Mary’s and is involved in other projects to aid the food bank, including the annual delivery of Thanksgiving turkeys that U-Haul Team Members donate. Some volunteers like Andrea Schlagel, U-Haul Center Sales Manager, have assisted the food bank for years.
St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance collects and distributes food to 10 of Arizona’s 15 counties. According to Charity Navigator, St. Mary’s puts 96.4 cents of every dollar toward programs to feed the hungry. The nonprofit organization is committed to building community relationships and improving the lives of Arizonans in need.
Thank you to our U-Haul Team Members who volunteered: Sandra Balderas, Jason Bressler, Carly Castillo, Marcia Chiariello, Toni Colasso, Karren Dunbarr, Jack Eller, Lori Eller, Jordan Flores, Eva Franco, Mike Franco, Tarryn Gilmore, Silvia Hernandez, Michael Horsfall, Sharri Jack, Rod McDowell, Trayvon Perkins, Jess Quinio, Shawn Quinio, Susan Quinio, Alonna Ross, Kelsey Sederstrom, Andrea Schlagel, Peyton Schlagel, Hilda Shockey, Robert Smith, Daniel Varela and Courtney Ward.
