A church ministry to feed Apache Junction’s underprivileged one day a week is staffed by a cadre of volunteers at various stations.
Many arriving April 11 for the community feast held noon-2 p.m. every Saturday at Desert Chapel United Methodist Church, 462 N. Palo Verde Drive in Apache Junction, were on foot or riding a bicycle. They stood quietly outside before doors were opened, first being directed to a table with hygiene items and tables pushed end-to-end teeming with canned and boxed foodstuffs, then to a line for two freshly dished-up packed hot meals.
The number of people getting the church’s free meal on Saturdays has increased during the first quarter of 2026 over each of the previous four quarters of 2025, but drops off during summer.
The drop in the summer is expected as many of Apache Junction’s unhoused leave for cooler climates, said Sally Steiner, kitchen leader for the community feast.
“In the summertime, a lot of the homeless go up to Prescott or cooler places and then they come back in the fall. But we still serve around 150 to 200 meals,” she said. “A lot of people — older people — on limited budgets, they come in on Saturday but they usually give a donation for it... They donate goods and they also socialize with the people.”
Volunteer Ric Kayer said the Saturday feast began in the 1980s.
“I wasn’t a member of the church back then... It was for the homeless who didn’t have a place to eat. Something the Methodist church does a lot,” he said. “The hours are varied depending on how many volunteers we can get and so forth. Since I’ve been here — seven years — we’ve had enough volunteers and been able to keep it open.”
Steiner has been the kitchen leader since the beginning of the year and volunteered for three years in other areas of the community feast before that.
Food comes from the Salvation Army, Midwest Distributors, the food bank in Gold Canyon, donations and a budget of church funds, she said.
Individuals who come for the community feast are usually given two meals each.
“They take either two meals to go or eat one here and take one with them; and they eat it cold or however,” Steiner said. “Most of them don’t have houses... Some of them don’t like to eat in front of other people so they’ll take it and go out.... Sometimes they have a hard time eating, they don’t have any teeth or different things like that.”
Being the kitchen leader is rewarding, Steiner said.
“I feel like I’m helping out people. I feel rewarded for that. You see a lot of sad stories. Some of them are capable of getting a job but they don’t want to get a job. But that’s their life,” she said. “And you get to know the homeless. A lot of them, you see them improve their way. They had a struggle, but they’re getting help.... One guy just found a trailer now so he’s living in a trailer, but he was out on the street. He works part-time jobs — just rewarding.”
Eight or nine volunteers are needed on Saturdays to do a variety of jobs, Steiner said.
“Some come in to serve and then leave. There are four or five of us who come in Fridays and then come and work on Saturday and serve to the end and do dishes. We have a few volunteers who come in and work over the noon hour,” she said.
Others hand out cans or boxes of food and hygiene items.
“They get a plastic bag and just go down the line,” Steiner said.
Volunteer Margee “Rose” Korrell staffed the hygiene items table, separating items from larger boxes.
“We try to provide soap, shampoo and conditioner, and just different things to help. Toothbrushes. Things to give them,” she said. “People donate this stuff and then we have to distribute it out there and try to be fair with everybody so somebody don’t come over and grab it all and then one person don’t get it.
“I volunteer because I enjoy helping other people,” Korrell said.
Winter resident Barb Fluth of Gilbert has volunteered at the community feast for four years, primarily handing out meals
“Mostly I work up there and I’m the one who asks people how much food and I get the food. I’m the go-between... That’s what I’ve been doing,” she said.
“First somebody goes out and prays with them and then they come in and they have to go around the back and come down this table,” she said of the hygiene and canned food tables. “So they come down the line and then ... we just ask them ‘Do you want one to go or for here?’ and they can have two meals.”
She enjoys volunteering and giving back to the community.
“God’s just gifted us — my husband and I. We started out being poor school teachers and didn’t have much... So we just feel, what can we do? We look around and say, ‘What can we do to help out?’ And we met another couple at our church out in Gilbert who was helping here,” Fluth said.
“There’s a lot of people who are genuinely appreciative, and I love that,” she said of the people seeking meals.
This is the second year Vivian Patrick-Thomas has volunteered at the community feast, most recently at the tables of canned and boxed food items.
“I want to help the poor — I think they need it,” she said.
Karenanne Mathews is a longtime volunteer at the community feast and clothing closet, helping out at various stations.
“Since Feb. 14, 2009 — so over 17 years. I like to help other people and it makes me happy,” she said.
April 11 was the first day of volunteering at the community feast for Nancy Cline and Debbie Skutnik.
“I’m just so blessed I want to try to help others, I want to give back,” Cline of Gold Canyon said.
“I feel so blessed. I feel like I have so much and I want to help out. I take so many things for granted, like taking a shower every day and having food every day that I want to do what I can to help,” Skutnik of Apache Junction said,
Church missions
In addition to the Saturday community feast, Desert Chapel has other missions and ministries, such as a clothing closet also open Saturdays, with clothing, shoes, bedding and personal hygiene products for those in need.
Melissa McKinney, in charge of communications for the church, said people have been coming recently to the clothing closet for work clothes to help with job interviews.
Other ministries of the church include a school supply drive for Avalon Elementary School, donating turkey boxes in November for families at Avalon, and hosting a water hydration drive, she said.
It also has a five-person congregational care team for church members who need support or need to talk to someone, McKinney said.
“Maybe they need someone to pray with them, maybe they need someone to meet them,” she said.
Richard H. Dyer can be reached at rdyer@iniusa.org, or on X @rhdyer. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines, https://www.yourvalley.net/civility-checklist/.
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.
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