The Flagstaff Family Food Center (FFFC) has taken over the operations of the Grand Canyon Food Pantry Inc. (GCFPI), ensuring the continued service to those who live and work in and around Grand Canyon National Park. This transition comes as the pantry's founder, Mike Scott, retires from his volunteer role as director. The food pantry, which has been in operation for seven years, provides essential support to the local community, with an estimated 18% of families in the national park benefiting from its services.

Sustaining the Heart of the Grand Canyon

A Seamless Transition for Uninterrupted Service

The FFFC, a well-established food bank and kitchen serving Northern Arizona for over three decades, has assumed the operations of the GCFPI. This move ensures that the pantry's critical work continues uninterrupted, providing high-quality service to all who rely on it. "We're proud to carry on the important work that President Mike Scott started seven years ago," said FFFC President and CEO Ethan Amos. "We expect a seamless transition, ensuring that everyone who uses the pantry continues to receive the exceptional service they've come to appreciate."

Honoring the Pantry's Founder and His Legacy

Scott, who was recently recognized as a "Hunger Action Champion" at the FFFC's Anti-Hunger Summit, approached the organization about taking over the pantry so that he could retire from his volunteer role as director. "Next to raising a family, working with so many willing people, businesses, the public sector and other food banks to bring a measure of food security to the people who live and work in the Canyon and Tusayan has been one of the most truly rewarding experiences of my life," he said.

Expanding the Pantry's Reach and Impact

The Grand Canyon Food Pantry operates three days a week, delivering food boxes weekly to the Havasupai families living within the Grand Canyon National Park, and holding a monthly mobile food pantry in Tusayan in front of the town hall. The inspiration for the GCFPI came from a conversation in 2017 between Scott and Matthew Vandzura, then chief ranger at the park, who noted that more than half the children in the local school system received subsidized lunch. This realization led to the creation of a summer meal program for students, which eventually evolved into the establishment of the emergency food pantry in December 2018.

Volunteers at the Heart of the Operation

The Grand Canyon Food Pantry is currently run entirely by volunteers, including Scott. While the FFFC will have a paid employee to oversee the management of the pantry, volunteers remain essential to the organization's operations. "The heart and soul of organizations like FFFC and Grand Canyon Food Pantry are our volunteers," said Amos. "They embody our mission of 'Neighbors Feeding Neighbors, Every Day' and make it possible for us to change lives."

Serving the Diverse Needs of the Community

The food pantry's reach extends beyond the immediate Grand Canyon area, with an estimated 18% of families living within the national park benefiting from its services. The pantry's operations have also adapted to address the unique challenges faced by the community, such as providing emergency food assistance during the six-week government shutdown that closed the national park in 2018, which led to the furloughing of many workers.