MARICOPA — A food pantry in Maricopa is recovering from a devastating fire. Maricopa Pantry is moving forward after flames ripped through, destroying tens of thousands of pounds of food.
"Where these trailers are, I want to go about 85 feet across and want to go 200 feet back,” said Maricopa Pantry Founder Jim Shoaf. "We want to build a food bank and a clothing bank. I want to put in a soup kitchen. I have already talked to the senior center in Maricopa because they need a place to make their Meals on Wheels."
All might seem out of reach to some after a devastating fire. But, not for Shoaf.
Back in late March, some equipment kept in a trailer caught fire and spread to several other trailers.
Shoaf tells ABC15 the flames destroyed more than 50,000 pounds of food.
"This was not only all of our food. This was, roughly, 20 years of our life,” added Shoaf.
When Shoaf got to the fire, he says one trailer was burning and all were on fire about 15 minutes later.
"We decided at the end of that day, when we watched the fire, God did not close a door. He opened one,” added Shoaf. "I have a general contractor. We've got the plans made up. We don't have them printed yet. I have to get them blue-printed, so we can take them to county and get permits."
Before the fire, Shoaf and his wife along with their team fed 1,200 families a week. The pantry now feeds, they say, about 1,700 families a week out of temporary trailers.
"That's the part that makes our food bank unique. We know the people. We get to talk to them. We don't just run them through like cattle,” added Shoaf.
So, a little more than eight months have passed since the fire at Maricopa Pantry. Each day, for the Shoafs, has been a challenge. But, they won't dare say the fire handed them a setback. They just keep going while staying focused on their vision.
"If you looked at what we do in our bank accounts, it doesn't make sense, but it works,” added Shoaf.
