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New Salvation Army officer in Mesa reports rising food assistance demand
Summary
Captain John Burks, new Salvation Army corps officer in Mesa, told the council the local program is seeing a roughly 50% increase in daily food assistance need and has had to turn people away several days in recent weeks.
Captain John Burks, the new corps officer for The Salvation Army in Mesa, introduced himself to the City Council during public comment on Oct. 20 and described expanded local services and rising demand for food assistance.
“We continue to help those most in need through food service, and we’re seeing a large increase of need in our area,” Burks told the council. He said the program has increased about 50% and that staff serve roughly 100 to 150 individuals per weekday. He added that the Salvation Army had to turn people away on four days in the past three weeks because they ran out of food.
Burks said the organization runs a senior lunch program at its Mesa location and is planning a soft reopening of a repurposed building for youth programs, character development and music. He gave the address for the facility during remarks and thanked the council for the opportunity to speak.
Burks closed by asking for the council’s support and expressing a commitment to serve more people in the community as programs expand.
