Youth group looking to help needy families

A group of Maricopa Wells Middle School students are gearing up for their annual turkey drive, seeking $4,000 in donations to feed less fortunate families in Maricopa.

“We typically don’t start the seeking donations until November, but we decided to do it early this year because of the economy,” said Priscilla Behnke, social worker for the Ak-Chin Community Alliance Against Substance Abuse.

The Maricopa Wells students participate in a program Behnke runs at the Middle School called SADD, Students Against Destructive Decisions. The students are calling local businesses during their lunch hour, talking to friends and family, and exploring any other options they can think of. “Our top child has already raised $71,” Behnke said. However, donations are slow coming in. The group has collected about $200 since starting the drive two weeks ago.

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. “It is often difficult to track down these struggling families because they don’t have a working phone number,” Behnke said. 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 this list is culled down, the youth break up into groups and deliver the meals. “We typically get a lot of children who want to help out and take part in the turkey drive.”

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

Photo by Joyce Hollis