USDA

It has been just three months since GCU and CityServe announced a major initiative — to deliver household, in-kind items from donors such as Costco, Home Depot and Lowe’s to families in need. The GCU CityServe HUB, a warehouse space being carved out in Building 66 on 27th Avenue, received is first three truckloads of merchandise last week, everything from furniture to camping equipment, and delivered those items to one of its community partners in a test run before the HUB’s planned official launch in September. New HUB Executive Director Jay Cory said he has never been more excited than now at what this initiative will mean in transforming the west Phoenix community GCU calls neighbors: “We’re going to change the world.”

When community partner CityServe called to see if GCU could distribute two truckloads of Farmers to Families Food Boxes on Good Friday, “I knew there was only one answer to give. I mean, you don’t say no. This is your opportunity to say yes,” said Community Relations Director Debbie Accomazzo. The University rallied and found homes for approximately 2,300 boxes of food, just in time for Easter weekend.

Patti Bilbrey, Director of Nutrition Services for the Scottsdale Unified School District, was looking for a way to honor her mentor, Dave Schwake, who passed away earlier this month from COVID-19 complications. Schwake tirelessly fought food insecurity as the Food Service Director for the Litchfield Elementary School District and as a volunteer for several nonprofit organizations. She found that opportunity to carry on his legacy with the Farmers to Families Food Box Program. Her district is one of several school districts who received boxes Wednesday in the latest round of food box distributions.