School kids donate 20k pounds of food for Our Neighbor’s Farm and Pantry

SAFFORD — Elementary students in Graham County collected more than 20,000 pounds of non-perishable food to help area residents in need of assistance.

Those donations are the result of the annual Double R Communications School Food Drive to benefit Our Neighbor’s Farm and Pantry food bank.

Kai Littrell, executive director for Our Neighbor’s Farm and Pantry, said the students’ donations should help feed area families through at least May 2023.

“This is a huge amount of food,” she said. “We’re so thankful to the community, our neighbors, our friends (and) all the students that have put this together.”

Kai Littrell, executive director for Our Neighbor’s Farm and Pantry, help sort the donations from the Double R Communications School Food Drive. – David Bell Photo/Gila Valley Central

Students were motivated to donate with the promise of a Domino’s pizza and Cakes with TLC cupcake party for the class at each school with the greatest number of donated items. On Monday, Reed Richins, owner of Double R Communications, flew to each school in the LifeNet helicopter to award the winning classes.

On Tuesday, the food was collected by volunteers with Valley Furniture, America’s Mattress, Sparklight, the United Way of Graham and Greenlee Counties and Double R Communications, and transported to Our Neighbor’s Farm and Pantry for sorting, which was made faster thanks to Tim Linden and III Counties Distributing making pallets available for a make-shift unloading zone, and the Safford Cotton Gin for making its scales available to weigh the donations.

“Every year we get a ton of help from sponsors and the local volunteers here at the food bank, and we’re just happy to be able to do what we do,” Richins said.

Volunteers help sort the donations Tuesday at the Double R Communication School Food Drive. – David Bell Photo/Gila Valley Central

2022 Class winners:

● Dan Hinton School — Ms. Barney’s class, 650 items

● Discovery Plus Academy — Mrs. Hillaman’s class, 649 items

● Dorothy Stinson School — Mrs. Smith’s first-grade class, 267 items

● Lafe Nelson School — Mr. Vincent’s third-grade class, 896 items

● Pima Elementary School — Mrs. Cook’s sixth-grade class, 568 items

● Ruth Powell School — Mrs. Vincent’s class, 432 items

● Solomon Elementary School — Mrs. Dillman’s second-grade class, 303 items

● Thatcher Elementary School — Mrs. Rulon’s class, 4,313 items

● Thatcher Primary School — Miss Astrain’s class, 511 items

● Triumphant Learning Center — Mrs. Bill’s fifth-grade class, 448 items

Mrs. Barney’s Class at Dan Hinton School – Micah Windsor Photo/Gila Valley Central

Mrs. Hillman’s class at Discovery Plus Academy – Micah Windsor Photo/Gila Valley Central

Mrs. Smith’s Class at Dorothy Stinson School – Micah Windsor Photo/Gila Valley Central

Mr. Vincent’s class at Lafe Nelson School – Micah Windsor Photo/Gila Valley Central

Mrs. Cook’s class at Pima Elementary – Micah Windsor Photo/Gila Valley Central

Mrs. Vincent’s class at Ruth Powell School – Micah Windsor Photo/Gila Valley Central

Mrs. Dillman’s class at Solomon Elementary School – Micah Windsor Photo/Gila Valley Central

Mrs. Rulon’s class at Thatcher Elementary – Micah Windsor Photo/Gila Valley Central

Miss Astrain’s class at Thatcher Primary – Micah Windsor Photo/Gila Valley Central

Mrs. Bill’s class at Triumphant Learning Center – Micah Windsor Photo/Gila Valley Central

Editor’s note: This story was updated at 10:17 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2022, to correct the name of LifeNet and the total number of items collected.

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