PHOENIX - The Phoenix Rescue Mission is best known for its Code Red summer outreach program, where they hand out water and other essentials to those living on the streets during the hottest month of the year.
The nonprofit also runs mobile pantries around the Valley - including a new location near Smith Park in Phoenix.
The organization is expanding its outreach by setting up a mobile food pantry close to campus at the An Army for Christ church, according to Nathan Smith, director of community engagement for Phoenix Rescue Mission on 41st Avenue and Buckeye Road.
"We do it here because we don't always want everything to be on our campus," Smith said. "We want to go out where people tend to frequent."
Resident and community leader Terry Perez has lived in the nieghborhood for 16 years and says the mobile pantry offers a much needed hand.
"Our neighborhood is primarily working families," Perez said. "We have a lot of hard workers, but you know, people with kids - it's hard right now to make ends meet, this helps out their families."
The first event was held on August 8, and there was a large turnout wih volunteers handing out water, fresh produce and bread.
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"It's whatever is available is what we are handing [out]," said Nathan Smith. "Code Red is a great service for people who are homeless, for people who are suffering on the streets, but we also want to be able to help people who aren't yet homeless but have different factors that might ultimately lead them there."
The nonprofit will set up a mobile pantry in this specific location on the first Thursday of every month, so that means they will be there on September 5 - this coming Thursday. Everyone is invited to stop by, even for non-neighborhood residents.
