Sedona AZ (December 17, 2008) – They are hungry. They are broke. They are scared. We see them but we don’t see them.
Tommy Acosta
They could be your neighbor, a grocery clerk you no longer see working where you shop, your favorite server or retail clerk who is no longer there. They are the victims of a merciless economy bankrupting our nation. They are Sedonans living at the edge of, or in, the midst of poverty. They are fellow human beings. “They” could even be you. Fortunately, for those living in Sedona who find themselves without money to pay bills, buy food for their families and facing the very real possibility of not being able to survive in our community through this holiday season and the coming months, help is here.
There is the Sedona Community Food Bank, the St. Vincent de Paul Society at St. John Vianney Church and Meals on Wheels at the Sedona Community Center, and the Salvation Army, whose volunteers are working tirelessly to meet the ever-growing needs and crowds of people coming to them for food and hope.
“We had an almost 50 percent increase in people coming to us for help this year,” said Hank Fritzsche, a member of the St. Vincent de Paul Society (SVPS), which distributes food to those in need every Thursday and Friday, from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. at St. John Vianney Church on Soldiers Pass Road.
“We turn no one away. We don’t fill out forms. We follow our Christian commitment to see Christ in the needy. We reflect love to people.”
SVPS volunteer Gordon Paravano said after retiring that he looked for rewarding service. “After I retired I wanted to give back to the Lord,” he said. “I like to eat and I like to help people enjoy what I like to do as well — and that is eat.”
Mr. Fritzsche said citizens wishing to donate non-perishable food can drop contributions off at the SVPS food shed outside St. John Vianney Church.
“People can also send monetary, tax-deductible contributions made out to the St. Vincent de Paul Society, c/o St. St. John Vianney Church, 180 Soldiers Pass Road, Sedona Arizona 86336. We use cash to help people pay utilities and get them over the bumps in their lives. We also use the money to buy fresh food to augment regular food supplies.” He went on to say that during Thanksgiving his group distributed 107 turkeys and bags of food to the needy.
“We also have a 24-hour hotline 928-282-7545 ext. 40, for those in dire need of immediate help,” Fritzsche added.
As businesses continue to close up in Sedona more and more people are out of work and in need of assistance, other community organizations rise to meet the need.
“We have seen a 23-percent increase in people coming for food this year,” said Vince Monaci of the Sedona Community Food Bank, operating out of the Seventh Day Adventist Church on Sunset Drive. “Last week we provided food for 68 households. Last month we had an average of 60 households per week.”
Monaci said the food bank is always in need of fresh vegetables and contributions; the need continues to increase. “We provide bread, sweets, eggs and milk and as much fresh produce as we can,” he said. “All donations are tax-deductible and those who contribute are eligible for an Arizona State Tax credit – $200 for individuals and $400 for married couples.”
Food is distributed at the Sedona Community Food Bank, Mondays and Tuesdays, 9:30-11:30 a.m., with main distribution taking place from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Wednesdays at the Seventh Day Adventist Church location.
Last Wednesday people began lining up as early as 8:15 a.m. in the cold to be first on line. There were mothers with babies, single men and women, entire families waiting outside. One recipient, a Sedona artist named Ragawna, spoke of the generosity of the food bank and the need it meets. “They are very good to us,” she said. “They help lots of people in Sedona. Sometimes the lines are down the streets. I work but sometimes I need their help with food to get by. They are wonderful and they don’t shame you. They are just great.”
Another recipient, a mother named Maria, holding her child, said she was living in fear any day she would run out of food for her baby. “We are very scared,” she said in Spanish. “We don’t have any more money or work. This is the only place we have to get food.”
Mr. Monaci said the only requirement is that people live in Sedona, the Village of Oak Creek, Cornville or Page Springs. He said monetary contributions are necessary to get through the lean months ahead.
“We don’t receive much money after January 1,” he said. “We would like to have enough food in the bank to continue purchasing fruits and vegetables for the public through next year.” Monaci said contributions can be sent to the Sedona Community Food Bank, PO Box 3962, Sedona Arizona 86340.
While community food outlets like Basha’s, Safeway, IGA, The Wildflower, some of the community’s houses of worship and other small stores continue to contribute food to the food bank and the St. Vincent de Paul Society, the City of Sedona has not yet officially embraced helping the hungry.
Sedona Mayor Rob Adams entertained the possibility. “We help other non-profit organizations in Sedona,” he said. “I don’t see why we can’t help them.”
The Sedona Community Center served more than 35,000 meals last year to homebound household members. Dollar-for-dollar tax-deductible contributions can be mailed to the Sedona Community Center, 2615 Melody Lane, Sedona Arizona 86336. The Sedona Community Food Bank has 19 volunteers.
Saint Vincent de Paul Society volunteer Susan Johnson summed up why those in service to others in Sedona do what they do. “It is the divine in us recognizing the divine in others,” she said. “It’s all part of God’s work.”
Article written and submitted by Tommy Acosta for Sedona Times – SedonaTimes.com .
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