YOUTH VOLUNTEERS BOX FOOD FOR COMMUNITY
By Harrison J. Bahe
On January 13, 2026, a group of youth volunteers assisted the Fort McDowell Education Department by boxing food at the brand-new location of the Extended Hands Food Bank in support of the department’s newly launched home delivery program.
Extended Hands Food Bank traces its roots back to 2004, when Pastor David Iverson learned that the Fountain Hills food bank was set to close. Guided by a deep commitment to serving the community, Pastor David stepped in to continue its mission of helping friends and neighbors through difficult times. He renamed the organization Extended Hands Food Bank, inspired by the hymn lyric, “Oh to be His hands extended, reaching out to the oppressed.” Despite ongoing challenges, Pastor David remained determined to keep the doors open, understanding that the community’s need would never disappear. As job losses and financial hardships increased over the years, the food bank became a vital lifeline for families forced to choose between paying bills and putting food on the table. Today, with the support of dedicated volunteers and generous donors, Extended Hands serves up to 1,000 people each month, providing food, hope, and relief from hunger.
In partnership with Extended Hands Food Bank, the Fort McDowell Education Department launched a new home delivery food program to serve families in need who sign up through the Education Office. Students who required volunteer hours for graduation traveled to the Extended Hands Food Bank location in Fountain Hills, AZ, where they were introduced to the food bank’s unique system that allows individuals to select the items that best meet their needs.
Each volunteer manned a two-tiered cart and navigated the store-like layout of the food bank, selecting a wide variety of items such as snacks, fruit, cereal, vegetables, bread, coffee, tea, meat, frozen foods, sweets, and essential non-food items including shampoo, body wash, and pet food. Once their carts were full, the volunteers packed their selections into fruit boxes for easy transport. The vans were then loaded, and the group delivered a total of ten food boxes to families within the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation.
The youth volunteers had a great time boxing food while learning valuable real-world lessons about grocery shopping with others in mind. At first, they gravitated somewhat jokingly toward sweets, but staff encouraged them to think about families as a whole rather than individual preferences. With that guidance, the students began selecting items that could be combined into complete meals, choosing staples such as rice, onions, ground beef, and canned goods to help sustain a family for the week.
“I liked picking out food for my community and helping out the community,” shared Danika. Mae focused on choosing healthier options, saying, “It was fun. I like that a lot because I can pick out healthy food for them.” Prince expressed pride in his volunteer work, stating, “I feel proud of myself for doing this, giving to my community. You know?”
While there were a few challenges along the way, the first delivery cycle of the food box program was a great success. Those interested in signing up for the home food delivery program may contact Dr. Victoria Corlett at (480) 789-7229 or via email at vcorlett@fmyn.org. Individuals may also sign up directly with Extended Hands Food Bank by visiting www.ehfb.org, calling (480) 837-0303, or emailing info@ehfb.org. However, if you sign up directly with Extended Hands, this will not include the Education Department’s home delivery service.
