TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — They serve thousands of meals each week to community members in need. Now, northside-based nonprofit GAP Ministries is closing in on a fundraising goal to complete a major kitchen expansion.
"When you see a shovel on the ground and you can see the holes in the ground for the plumbing, I'm just super excited," Gap Ministries executive chef John Hohn tells me.
And Hohn should be excited: By November, he'll be in a brand-new kitchen on the GAP Ministries northside campus, with the ability to produce meals for those in need in the Tucson community.
"We're really excited to get this space up and running because our kitchen is chomping at the bits to really get food into the community," says Jason Ayers, director of communications at GAP Ministries.
"We want to make sure kids are served. We want to make sure elderly have meals. We want to make sure families who are desperate for food get that opportunity."
GAP Ministries has seen food insecurity grow in Tucson in recent years. As the nonprofit approaches its 25th anniversary, they're building a much larger kitchen to handle the need.
"We believe that we'll be able to triple our capacity and be serving over 200,000 to 300,000 meals a year just into the community," Ayers says.
As construction continues, so does fundraising for the new kitchen.
A recent donation and challenge from Barrio Brewing is getting them much closer to their goal. The Barrio Brewing Foundation will increase a recent donation of $25,000 to $32,500 if the community matches that amount.
So far, Tucsonans have donated $22,000 of the $32,500. Executive Chef John Hohn says he's indebted to Barrio Brewing.
"They've literally shown their love through their words and also through their finances," says Hohn. I'm extremely grateful for Barrio and everything that they have done for this neighborhood and for us. I'm so thankful."
You can help GAP Ministries with the construction of their new kitchen by donating directly to their website here.
Your Giving Project donation qualifies for Arizona's charitable tax credit.
Our partners in the Giving Project, the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona, will again match the first $500 in donations.
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Pat Parris is an anchor and reporter for KGUN 9. He is a graduate of Sabino High School where he was the 1982 high school state track champion in the 800 meters. While in high school and college, he worked part-time in the KGUN 9 newsroom. Share your story ideas and important issues with Pat by emailing pat.parris@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
