Presentation of Christmas baby blankets to Leanne Leonard (on the left) by Arlene Hunt (middle) and Lynne Carlyle (right).
Leanne Leonard, Director of the Agua Fria Food and Clothing Bank
For almost two decades Arlene Hunt has been committed to serving the smallest neighbors of the southwest valley. After several years of helping to coordinate the Thanksgiving and Christmas Food programs, she volunteered as the coordinator of the Agua Fria Food and Clothing Bank’s Baby Care Program for many years: keeping inventory of donated items, purchasing additional supplies, packing the Baby Bags and handling the distribution, most often with the help of Lynne Carlyle.
When she made the decision to step down from that role in 2015, she wanted to continue to serve the babies by making baby blankets for each new baby entering the program. So, for over a decade, she has made fleece blankets edged in a crochet binding to be added to their baby bags.
This year, Arlene and Lynne worked together on an extra project to ensure that all 25 babies in the program would have a new Christmas blanket. The babies who have passed through the Agua Fria Food and Clothing Bank for almost 20 years have had their lives blessed by the efforts of these two women.