Sheriff Joe's inmates assisting Arcadia residents at Scottsdale Elk's Lodge.

SCHEDULE
Saturday mornings from
January 30 to March 27, 2010
Resident drop off:
8:00am to Noon
Commercial drop off:
8:00am to 10:00am
Citrus Recipients:
10:00am to 11:30am

HEARD MUSEUM ARTISAN FAIR
The Heard Museum kicks off each March with the Indian Artisan Fair. Fruit baskets are provided to the artisans as gifts, excess citrus is given to participants as they conclude the fair activities and return to the reservations.

MARICOPA COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
Sheriff Joe’s chain gang assist every Saturday morning with sorting and packing citrus, as East Valley residents drop off their fruit. The jail kitchen picks up bulk grapefruit every week, which is typically around 20,000 pounds. The donated citrus goes directly into inmate’s meals providing the necessary vitamin C and fruit requirement, as well as saving the county in food cost.

EAST VALLEY MEN’S CENTER
The Mesa Community Action Network provides counseling, shelter and meals to individuals who are working to put their lives back on track. Oranges, grapefruit and lemons are provided every week to round out meals and desserts.

SAINT MATTHEWS FOOD BANK
Serving the East Valley, St. Matthews delivers food to low income families, as well as being a meal source for the homeless. Arcadia citrus is combined with other grocery items in food boxes, to provide a healthy balance to those in need.

CITY OF GUADALUPE
Guadalupe has a community action program, which provides food, paper goods, child care, and some medical assistance. The Arcadia Citrus Program delivers oranges, grapefruit, and lemons, this fruit is then distributed to the poor, disabled, and elderly.

HOPI INDIAN RESERVATION
Many of the Hopi festivals use oranges in the celebration. Volunteers and Hopi tribesmen use their personal vehicles to deliver citrus to the isolated villages, such as Kykotsmovi . Any one wanting to transport citrus to the Hopi community can make arrangements with the Arcadia Citrus Program.

SALT RIVER PIMA-MARICOPA INDIAN TRIBE
Weekly deliveries are made directly to the tribe, since the reservation is just east of Scottsdale. Even though conditions are improving on the reservation, there is still plenty of need for quality citrus. The tribe maintains a food distribution center that allow families to pick up the necessary supplements for a balanced diet.

GILA RIVER PIMA INDIAN TRIBE
This agricultural community has an abundance of cotton, alfalfa, and livestock, but is void of any citrus orchards. Lemons, oranges, and grapefruit are a welcome sight when delivered to the community food warehouse. Fruit and other food products are kept fresh and cool in the refrigerated store rooms. Tribe members pick up food and produce items on regularly scheduled days.

TOHONO O’ODHAM TRIBE
The Papago Council oversees food donations from the community center in Sells, Arizona. Citrus, food and paper products are placed in the hands of needy individuals who can be either residents of the United States or Mexico, since the reservation extends across the border into Sonora.

HISTORY
Started in the Spring of 1999, boy scouts picked oranges from the Arcadia neighborhood and Tavan Elementary School. This citrus, usually 8000 lbs. was transported to the Navajo and Hopi Indian Reservations by John Savoy and Barry Paceley.

The discovery of roof rats stimulated Arcadia residents to glean their door-yard fruit and donate it to Arcadia Citrus Program. The program distributed the citrus to food banks, senior centers and Arizona Indian Tribes.

Winter visitors like the Kings help Arcadia Service Learning students sort oranges for Hopi Reservation shipment.

The drop off site make a good anchor location for volunteer groups who are picking fruit in the immediate neighborhoods.

Any community leader or service group who is interested in sponsoring a citrus drop site, here are the key items to start:

• A commitment from a service group to coordinate and oversee the drop site.
• Open parking lot area for set up and vehicle traffic.
• Storage space to keep signage, tables, boxes, etc.
• Tables and tarps
• Use of a city dumpster for trash and spoiled fruit
• Bins, boxes and pallets are provided by the Arcadia Citrus Program

The program usually runs 6 to 10 weeks from late January to the end of March.

CALLING FOR 2010 VOLUNTEERS

The Arcadia Citrus Program has a listing of senior homeowners, who are no longer able to pick their citrus. There are properties in "all" parts of the Phoenix area.

This is an ideal activity for any individual or group wanting to help our seniors and provide citrus to local food banks and Arizona Indian Reservations.

Group committment is usually 3 to 4 hours on a Saturday morning and is primarily involved with picking oranges and grapefruit.

Check your service dates between January 30 and March 27, 2010 for this community service opportunity.

For more information or scheduling your group, contact Barry Paceley at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .