At 5am on October 16, 2010, Pan de Vida Foundation embarked on what turned out to be a record breaker for trash collected in one neighborhood in the history of Queen Creek/San Tan Valley. The neighborhood: Little Mexico/Sun Valley Estates community.
The prelude to the cleanup took place months in advance of the actual community cleanup. Pan de Vida president, Mary Gloria, community activist, Gordon Brown and the Pan de Vida volunteer staff, met on a weekly base with the residents, bringing together the community. Flyers were passed out house to house, time and again, to inform the neighborhood residents of the planned meetings. All were invited to participate. In fact, it was made clear to the neighborhood, that it was their cleanup; the volunteers were just there to help.
A bridging event was planned to bring together the neighborhood and volunteers of the larger community. It was a great event, with food and music by the XS Band, thanks to the Principal of San Tan Foot Hills High School. But not like the clean up.
On the cleanup day, 50-60 volunteers were on site waiting to register while it was still dark. Little Mexico has no street lights, so it was very dark! However, it didn’t stop there; a parade of volunteers filed down Camino Largo all morning long. Teens came out of the woodwork to help; they hitched a ride with anyone who had room for them, 5-8 kids per truck, happy to be part of the cleanup. An amazing 382 folks registered, but many more were not interested in being counted. An estimated 1000 people took part in the cleanup, and a projected 85 tons of trash got pick up.
Area clergy members and their flocks helped out, as well as, Code Compliance Officer, Louis Felix and many friends. Even Bryan Martyn, County Supervisor was seen pitching trash into the roll offs, along with Convenient Home Services employees, Peter, Paul, Octavio, and Josh who all seemed to be having a blast! The Little Mexico resident’s couldn’t believe their eyes; they were amazed and excited to see the vast number of volunteers who showed up to help!

By Terrance Thornton

Independent Newspapers

As the economy continues to squeeze down on employees, employers and municipalities, East Valley outreach organizations are beginning to feel the pinch, but that isn’t stopping them from continuing to move forward.
When people lose their homes, find themselves out of work and unable to provide for their children’s needs or turn to drugs and booze to cope with life’s pressures, outreach organizations are often called on for help, officials say.
While cities and towns in the East Valley look at ways to trim next fiscal year’s budget, health and human services funding may be left on the cutting room floor, officials say.
The town of Queen Creek provides funding for non-departmental or nonprofit organizations and the majority of those dollars are spent on the Queen Creek Chamber of Commerce, Boys & Girls Club of the East Valley, the Queen Creek Child Crisis Center, community events and the Queen Creek Performing Arts Center.
However, this coming fiscal year it is anticipated — Queen Creek Town Council will have the final say on the matter — for the town to increase its funding to the Boys & Girls Club of the East Valley, a town official said.
"Because they are not only providing for the after-school programs," explained Dee Anne Thomas, the town’s information and marketing services department director, in a phone interview. "They are expanding their programing."
With $81,250 in funding from the town, the Boys & Girls Club of the East Valley is expecting to increase its current teen program, according to proposed recommendations from the Queen Creek Budget Committee.
Queen Creek Councilman Gordon Mortensen, who is on the Queen Creek Budget Committee, says the town is looking at ways to maintain support to outreach organizations even during tough economic times.
"Certainly, we want them in our community and stay as solid as they can," he said in a phone interview. "We try to get them all sound; you work hard to get them in the community ... it is the human element."
Keeping those organizations within the community may be made possible in the immediate future with in-kind donations, Councilman Mortensen said.
"Money is about 15 percent reduced across the board," he explained of budget cuts, noting the potential increase this coming fiscal year to the Boys & Girls Club for the development of a new program. "We felt there was reason to increase their funding."
But Councilman Mortenson says outreach organizations are a staple of any strong community.
"We are still a startup community, but you want to keep the human aspect intact," he said.
Mary Gloria, Pan de Vida Foundation Board of Directors president, agrees.
"We just do a little bit of everything that we see in the community," she said in a phone interview. "Mainly, where we see there is a need we go."
The Pan de Vida Foundation, which is an all-volunteer organization helping citizens in need of the Queen Creek and greater San Tan Area, is eyeing a vacant town building in the downtown area to serve as a headquarters for the outreach group, Ms. Gloria says.
According to Ms. Gloria, the building is directly across the street from Serranos Mexican Restaurant, 22703 S. Ellsworth Road.
The agreement would be an in-kind donation and Ms. Gloria says she has been meeting with town officials on the matter, but must submit an application for use of the facility before the operation can be considered, which she has not — yet.
The Pan De Vida Foundation, which has been in existence for five years, has provided three community college scholarships and is sponsoring three ASU students, is beginning a new coupon program to boost revenue.
"We have not been a part of that, we have applied, but we have not got any funding from them," Ms. Gloria explained of town of Queen Creek funding. "We have submitted allocations; yes, we have not exactly gotten to the point we would like to."
Despite the lack of town funding, Ms. Gloria says the outreach effort remains steadfast to its goal, which is to aid the community at-large.
"We are just seeing what is needed in the community," she said. "Right now we are seeing a need for people who need help paying their utility (bills) because of the economy."
Bill Shanley, Pan de Vida Foundation board of directors vice president, says since the organization’s inception it has sought to fill the need members of the group have become aware of.
"We are a nonprofit that has helped the community for the past five years. That is what we do, we give back to the community," he explained while helping out at the Pan De Vida display announcing the "cents-off" endeavor at the Queen Creek Bashas’ Supermarket, 23760 S. Power Road.
Happy Howe, Pan de Vida Foundation coupon volunteer coordinator, explained the "cents off" program as a fundraising effort where manufactured coupons are used in Bashas’ stores in Queen Creek and once redeemed, Pan de Vida receives the savings garnered.
"It comes from the manufacturer, so your money is not coming out of your pocket," she explained as shoppers passed by. "It is a big community fundraiser."

To contact the Pan de Vida Foundation call:
480-987-0819.

May 17, 2008 - 12:21AM
Queen Creek food assistance programs struggling
TOUGH TIMES: Mary Gloria operates Pan de Vida, a nonprofit group that distributes food for needy families, from her home near Queen Creek.
Sarah J. Boggan, Tribune
There are slim pickings in the cupboards of the Queen Creek area’s food assistance programs, as donations struggle to keep pace with an increase in people seeking help.
United Way seeks to replenish United Food Bank
A new class of needy emerges in Gilbert
“We’re seeing that there’s a lot more need,” said Mary Gloria, who runs the nonprofit group Pan de Vida out of her home near Queen Creek. “We’re seeing much more need from people who are without jobs, from people who are deciding whether they should buy food or make their mortgage payment.”
Her organization used to provide emergency food boxes to 100 families each week. Now, as the economy continues to struggle, each week they’re providing about 400 food boxes, she said.
“We don’t turn anyone away,” she said.
Gloria said the nonprofit food pantry, which serves the Queen Creek and Johnson Ranch areas, is also seeing fewer donations to meet the skyrocketing needs. The food boxes provide a week’s worth of groceries to a typical household, including dairy and meat products, fruit, vegetables and other staples.
Epic Christian Church’s food mission, based in Johnson Ranch, is facing similar issues. Food mission leader Cameo Rooney said donations are drying up, and the church now is reaching outside of the community for help. The mission usually relies on school canned food drives.
“We’ve been open for a year now, and we have seen a huge decrease in the amount of donations that we’ve been getting,” Rooney said. “We’re getting food, but it’s not filling our shelves.”
Rooney said the mission started out providing about 10 food boxes every other week, and now they are feeding more than 60 families each time they distribute food.
“The biggest thing I’ve seen is how many new people there are,” she said. “They’re not people you look at and say ‘they’re in need.’ It’s my next-door neighbor, it’s my best friend.”
Gloria said she has seen increased requests for diapers and gas money, even though her group does not provide cash. She called the problem “heartbreaking.”
Gloria is relying on supermarkets and donors to help fill the gap.
“We keep looking for help,” she said. “We keep trying to find people that will help us and try to do something because they are concerned about the needs of the community.”
Nonprofit organizations across the state are worried about the possible impact of reduced state and federal funding, as well as lower turnouts for fundraisers, said Patrick McWhortor, president and CEO of the Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits.
“Everybody is clearly worried,” McWhortor said. “The concern about the economy is having some ramifications.”
There isn’t any data about the economy’s effects on nonprofits, and effects are speculative, he said.
“But those organizations (that rely on state funding) go out and look at other sources,” he said. “The competition for the other sources becomes that much more of a crowded field.”
Despite the tough environment, McWhortor said giving is still evident.
“While people might cut back in their spending somewhat, they are still very generous in their giving,” he said. “We’re trying not to paint it as doom and gloom, but there is definitely concern across the sector.”