About 1,200 food-insecure families in the Valley will have enough to celebrate Christmas after St. Mary’s Food Bank held its holiday distribution event in Phoenix on Monday, Dec. 23.
Those struggling to put food on their tables during the holidays were welcomed to the distribution center off Thomas Road and 31 st Avenue, where they received either a turkey, ham or prime rib, plus a box full of fix-ins to put together a Christmas dinner.
With the help of Sanderson Ford’s Operation Santa Claus charity drive, the families also drove away with toys as gifts for their children on Christmas morning.
“Santa made a little trip to us last night,” said Jerry Brown, the public relations director for St. Mary’s. “All the kids in the line are going home with a toy, so that’s something to put under the (Christmas) tree as well.”
For Scottsdale resident Tara Konat, the distribution event means parents can give their children a memorable Christmas celebration with both food and some presents. With families receiving some help from St. Mary’s and its army of volunteers like Konat, parents might have some extra cash to spend on presents for their kids.