Superstition Community Food Bank, 575 N. Idaho Road Suite 701 in Apache Junction, offers assistance to individuals and families in northwest Pinal County and east Mesa. It has been in operation since 1983 and was previously known as Reach Out Food Bank.
Apache Junction nonprofit organizations that support children’s charities, help with food insecurity or help residents to manage chronic pain through education and awareness hope to build on their 2024 accomplishments and provide more services in 2025.
Officials at the Apache Junction Mounted Rangers, International Pain Foundation and Superstition Community Food Bank recently answered two questions: “What is one goal your organization has for 2025 and how do you hope to accomplish it?” and “What is your organization’s proudest accomplishment in 2024 and why?” See their answers below.
International Pain Foundation
Barby Ingle of the International Pain Foundation setting up for a CPR training class in September 2024 in Apache Junction as part of Chronic Pain Awareness Month activities. (International Pain Foundation)
International Pain Foundation
The International Pain Foundation — also known as iPain — is based in Apache Junction and is devoted to helping people who suffer from a variety of muscular skeletal, inflammatory, neurological, emotional, degenerative and often rare conditions that involve chronic pain through education, awareness and access to care projects.
The nonprofit’s top goal for 2025 is to enhance access to pain education and resources to improve individualized care for those with chronic and rare diseases, said Barby Ingle, past president of the International Pain Foundation and iPain Living Magazine editor-in-chief since 2016.
“The foundation is committed to educating and supporting chronic pain patients. Our primary goal for 2025 is to enhance global access to pain education and resources. We plan to expand our digital presence by developing a multilingual website, offering webinars, and launching global online courses and certifications on pain management for patients, caregivers and health care providers,” she said.
Collaboration with medical schools will help integrate pain management education into their curricula, Ingle said.
“We will also run awareness campaigns during significant awareness months to educate the public about chronic pain, utilizing social media and traditional media for outreach,” she said. “Community support is essential; we encourage local support groups to foster engagement and advocacy for health care improvements. Additionally, we aim to promote telemedicine services and explore partnerships with tech companies to implement AI tools and wearable devices for pain tracking. By focusing on these strategies, the International Pain Foundation hopes to improve understanding of chronic pain and enhance the quality of life for pain sufferers.”
The organization’s proudest achievement in 2024 was launching its Safety First Program, developed in partnership with Respond and Rescue LLC.
“We have certified instructors in Arizona, Kansas, Missouri, Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia who provide training in CPR, first aid, basic life support, Narcan administration and EpiPen use,” Ingle said of the Safety First Program. “This new program offers several significant benefits, including the capability for immediate response, a reduction in opioid overdose deaths, effective management of allergic reactions and enhanced community safety. It also empowers caregivers to enhance safety, build confidence and ensure workplace compliance. We are committed to providing cost-effective solutions, improving injury prevention options and fostering community connections.”
About 60% of Americans have at least one chronic disease, and these individuals account for nearly 60% of emergency room visits. Around 30% of these visits could be avoided with better management and treatment options, she said.
“Understanding first aid can help manage situations before professional help arrives, enhancing community safety and patient outcomes. These efforts support and advocate for the chronic pain community, improving its visibility and influence in pain management,” Ingle said.
Superstition Community Food Bank
Erik Arriola, executive director of Superstition Community Food Bank, 575 N. Idaho Road Suite No. 701 in Apache Junction.
Superstition Community Food Bank
Superstition Community Food Bank, 575 N. Idaho Road Suite 701 in Apache Junction, offers assistance to individuals and families in northwest Pinal County and east Mesa. It has been in operation since 1983 and was previously known as Reach Out Food Bank. The website is https://superstitionfoodbank.org/.
The nonprofit has partnered with Apache Junction Unified School District to provide backpacks of food for weekends to students enrolled in the program. A student can self-enroll, be parent-enrolled or have a teacher or school staff enroll them if they realize a need for weekend food assistance, according to the food bank’s website.
Backpacks are filled with items such as cereal, instant oatmeal or granola bars; instant mac ‘n cheese; peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or supplies to make them; instant ramen, raviolis or canned soup; dry or boxed milk; fruit juice; fresh or canned fruit; and snacks.
“We would love to expand our student backpack food program to the remaining two elementary schools in Apache Junction,” Executive Director Erik Arriola said of a food bank goal for 2025. “Currently we serve over 250 students with these weekend backpacks filled with food. We would love to make sure every elementary-age student has access to these weekend food backpacks. We are always fundraising to make sure we can continue to offer and expand the student backpack food program.”
The Superstition Community Food Bank’s proudest accomplishment in 2024 is the number of people who have been helped, Arriola said.
“We are most proud of the work we continue to do for the community. Our numbers continue to increase and we are still able to meet the needs of those needing assistance. We haven’t had to cut back or limit what we give,” he said. “For the second year in a row, we have assisted over 40,000 individuals and over 15,000 families. Of course, we couldn’t have done this without support from the community and all the helping hands of our volunteers putting in over 21,000 hours.”
Apache Junction Mounted Rangers
Members of the volunteer peacekeeping group Apache Junction Mounted Rangers promote the tradition of the Old West by wearing black uniforms, boots and cowboy hats. (Apache Junction Mounted Rangers)
Apache Junction Mounted Rangers
The volunteer peacekeeping group Apache Junction Mounted Rangers is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization operating primarily in Apache Junction. It supports organizations, companies and various community events such as the Lost Dutchman Days Rodeo. Since 1996, the Apache Junction Mounted Rangers has donated more than $335,000 back to the community of Apache Junction. The website is http://www.ajmountedrangers.org.
In 2025, the organization will continue its mission to financially support children and youth organizations in Apache Junction while promoting the values and tradition of the Old West.
“Our main goal is to give back to the community and help the children who are our future and to make our community safer for our children, families and friends,” said Liz Rizzo Sterba, AJMR public relations officer. “We will accomplish this by providing our security presence and earning money to support various children’s local charities.”
Organizations the Apache Junction Mounted Rangers support include Superstition Fire and Medical District, Apache Junction Police Department’s Angels on Patrol program, Apache Junction Boys and Girls Club, Superstition Community Food Bank, Project Help and Apache Junction schools’ athletic programs, she said.
The organization’s proudest accomplishment in 2024 was partnering with Superstition Mountain Promotional Corp. to put on the annual Lost Dutchman Days rodeo and associated events, Sterba said.
“We are most proud to be a partner of the Lost Dutchman Days Rodeo, our largest event. We promote the tradition of the Old West by wearing black uniforms, boots and cowboy hats,” she said. “Our duties take us to parking lots, parades, rodeos and private events around the community. Our mounted unit of horseback riders is one of our greatest assets who provide a presence during crowd control and allows citizens not normally around horses to meet these beautiful animals.”
Richard H. Dyer can be reached at rdyer@iniusa.org, or on X @rhdyer. To voice your opinion on this story, connect with us at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.
Meet Richard Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA since 1987, starting his career in Apache Junction as a copy editor and being promoted over the years to work as the editor of the Mesa Independent, news services editor for the East Valley office in Apache Junction, managing editor for the East Valley office, news services editor for the East Valley office and eventually also for the newspapers at INI’s then-Chandler office, managing editor again and as a news editor covering Apache Junction/Gold Canyon and Queen Creek. He helped start the Florence Independent while the news editor covering Apache Junction and Mesa news. In January 2023, he became associate managing editor for the East Valley newspapers and in August 2023 became managing editor for the East Valley newspapers of Chandler/Tempe, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Florence, Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, while also reporting on Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon.
Community: Since 2009, he has worked as a volunteer to design The Blue Guitar Magazine, Blue Guitar Jr. magazine and Unstrung magazine, which are projects of The Arizona Consortium for the Arts; and since 2014, has been overseeing the art submissions.
Education: University of Arizona with a master of arts in journalism and a bachelor of science in agricultural communication. Also continuing education at Mesa Community College in welding in a metal art sculpture class.
Random fact: Saw his first tornado on May 31, 2010, which was classified as an EF-2, as part of a stormchasing tour group.
Hobbies: He is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows.
By 
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here