SADD students seeking funds to feed 18 more families

A group of Maricopa Wells Middle School students need to feed 18 more families during their annual turkey drive to give less fortunate families in Maricopa a great Thanksgiving.

The Maricopa Wells students participate in a program Priscilla Behnke runs at the Middle School called SADD, Students Against Destructive Decisions. The program is out of the Prevention Center, and Behnke is a social worker for the Ak-Chin Community Alliance Against Substance Abuse (CAASA).

The students are calling local businesses during their lunch hour, talking to friends and family, and exploring any other options they can think of. They need only $774 more dollars to feed all the families on their list, at $43 for a complete meal with all the trimmings.

To find families in need, Behnke sends a mass e-mail to contacts she has made in the school and the city asking people to pass along names of those who may be in need. Once the families are identified, Behnke goes through the list a few days prior to handing out meals to ensure they will be available for meal delivery and also to ensure they are actually in need of assistance.

“Our goal is to feed 60 to 65 families this year,” Behnke said. Once we have a list, the youth break up into groups and deliver the meals on Tuesday, Nov. 24. “We typically get a lot of children who want to help out and take part in the turkey drive.”

“We want to thank everyone who has donated to the Turkey Drive already,” said Behnke. “This drive is part of a 20-year-old tradition.”

If you are interested in making a donation, call 520-568-7100, ext. 3095, or e-mail Behnke at [email protected].

Cash or checks, payable to Maricopa Ak-Chin CAASA, are gratefully accepted. Behnke will collect the monies, or they can be dropped off at Maricopa Wells Middle School. Clubs, teams, schools, classes and individuals can all donate. If donors cannot get the money to Behnke by Tuesday, call or email her to arrange a time, and she will mark it down as a pledge.

File photo