Once again The PebbleCreek Community Church Mission Committee will be organizing the Agua Fria Food Drive with assistance from other local churches and our wonderful community to provide a good meal at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Food collection containers will be placed in the Eagle’s Nest Clubhouse by the Pro Shop and in Tuscany at the Creative Arts Center from November 1 through December 15. We are once again asking our PebbleCreek neighbors and clubs to help with this community-wide effort by donating food to fill the food baskets for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Agua Fria Food and Clothing Bank helps people who have found themselves without the means to provide sufficient food and clothing for their families. More families are requiring this assistance each year. This is a wonderful way for us to show our thanks for all the blessings each of us have by giving of our food, money and time to help others.
Food baskets are distributed to qualified families on the two days prior to Thanksgiving and two days before Christmas Eve. There are several ways you can help with this effort.
1. You can bring food to the collection boxes from November 1 through December 15 at the locations listed above. Food items collected will be canned foods: cranberry sauce, green beans, corn, peas, chicken broth, gravy (turkey/chicken) and canned fruit; Dry goods include stuffing mix, instant potatoes, pinto beans and rice. These are staple items and a frozen turkey and other fresh items will be added to the baskets as they are available. Funds for turkeys are always appreciated. We will be providing turkey as the meat at Thanksgiving and chicken at Christmas time this year.
2. You can volunteer to help distribute food baskets. To volunteer contact Michelle Gardner at [email protected] or Edna DeFord at [email protected] or call 623-935-2707 or sign up at PebbleCreek Community Church on Sunday mornings. The church meets at 9:00 a.m. each Sunday in the Eagle’s Nest Ballroom.
3. Send a financial donation: Donations may be brought to PebbleCreek Community Church designated for Agua Fria Food Bank or a check may be mailed directly to Agua Fria Food Bank designated for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner baskets and mailed to 405 E. Harrison Drive, Avondale, Arizona 85323; phone 623-932-9135. A check for $40 will feed a family of four for a nice holiday dinner.
In addition to the food distribution Agua Fria also collects toys for the children at Christmas. If you would like to support this effort you may purchase toys and take them to Agua Fria. Each family that receives a Christmas Dinner basket is given an opportunity to pick out one toy for each of their children.
God promises to “Bless a cheerful giver.” I pray we have a lot of cheerful givers from PebbleCreek this year to support this community wide program.