Dear Governor Doug Duecy,
Recently it has come to my attention that poverty is affecting Arizonanan citizens by a 1 to 7 ratio. This is frightening for our state’s future, and yet it looks to be completely ignored in the 2020 budget that has been posted by your office. I understand that education, infrastructure, healthcare, future financial security, and public safety are real issues in Arizona. Unfortunately, a greater problem than the I-17 is the hungry citizens of Arizona. They have been overlooked once again, and it’s time to make a change. It’s no secret that Apache County is one of the poorest counties in the country. This is your responsibility. The rural areas of the White Mountains are a host to many individuals who suffer from food insecurity and most are due to lack of transportation. There are locations in the White Mountains that are hours away from the nearest grocery store and have no source of public or personal transportation. The food stamps system is not enough to solve this problem. The lack of mobility alone sets these people apart from citizens that have access to blanket assistance programs.
I believe that you want to change Arizona for the better. To do this, you must address the elephant in the room. The children that go hungry after school, the elderly who cannot leave their homes, the full-time, overworked employees who still can’t fully provide for their family, and even those of us who are fortunate to have the necessities needed to provide for our household- all of us, here in the White Mountains, are calling on you. There are people that deserve the attention that is given to the education system or public safety system. Although we are grateful for the recognition these areas are getting, we need help developing a mobile food service that can reach the rural citizens living in poverty. The call is not for handouts but for necessary arrangements to help the Arizonan citizens that need food boxes but cannot drive to get them or the citizens that cannot take time away from work to drive multiple hours to go to the grocery store.
A program needs to be developed to solve this issue. There are multiple investments that are set aside to better Arizona, and I am asking you to consider advocating for the little people. The program could be based on a combination of two ideas: by Meals on Wheels and Northern Arizona Community Resource Network. A self-reliant program can be developed through mobile services like mobile food delivery, mobile grocery stores, mobile seminars or classes. These resources can improve Arizona’s quality of life, strengthen job opportunities, and launch a self-sustaining way of life that will eventually not require remediation by the government. The program should be designed as a long-term approach to the hunger that pains rural Arizona. The food can be grown and produced by the people that need jobs and job experience. The products can be sold to the citizens that do not have immediate access to grocery stores. The excess will be donated to mobile food boxes that can be delivered to those who are unable to work or have insufficient funds to pay.
There are women, children, men, and elderly Arizonans in the White Mountains that require immediate assistance. They are living in hunger and are unable to access the necessities that are needed for survival. These are hard-working, honest individuals who wish to grow and prosper in Arizona, they just need a jump start. Mr. Deucy, please arrange the Arizona budget to reflect the care and compassion that the people of the White Mountains deserve. We are not asking to take your eyes off education, public safety, healthcare, or infrastructure improvements. We are simply asking that this growing issue is recognized and addressed. This is happening here in Arizona, and it needs to be a priority to solve this issue.
Thank You,
The People of Rural Arizona
