Paradise Valley Community College has joined Kitchen on the Street, a local non-profit organization, in the effort to eliminate childhood hunger in Arizona. On Saturday, Oct. 6, the Kitchen on the Street food truck will be serving tasty global street food at PVCC’s free outdoor concert featuring Bad Reputation: A Musical Tribute to Women That Rock!
Food truck proceeds fund Kitchen on the Street’s Bags of Hope program, which provides backpacks of non-perishable, pre-packaged meals for local children who otherwise would go hungry on the weekends. “The food truck is staffed entirely by volunteers, so all proceeds benefit local kids,” said Lisa Scarpinato, CEO & co-founder of Kitchen on the Street and a member of PVCC’s Community Advisory Council.
“As part of our mission to reach out to the local community and connect with community issues, we are pleased to partner with Kitchen on the Street to help feed the growing number of children who don’t have enough to eat,” said PVCC President Paul Dale. “Many children depend on school meals because they are hungry at home. By providing them with the nutrition they need in the evenings and on weekends, these children can better focus on learning while in school.”
Scarpinato said one in four Arizona children struggle with hunger in Arizona. The program serves more than 1,100 children each weekend—100 in the Paradise Valley Unified School District alone. It also partners with St. Mary’s Food Bank to distribute fresh food to families in need.
“We are turning hunger into hope—one child at a time,” she said.
PVCC Honors student Aaron Pressley, 19, is a volunteer at both Kitchen on the Street and the Palomino Primary and Intermediate Schools whose students benefit from the program, so he’s seen firsthand how the program helps hungry children and families.
“It’s like a food bank on-the-go in the community. They help a lot of people in the predicament that they can’t afford food, so it has a huge impact on the community,” he said.
Kitchen on the Street reports that children who participate in backpack programs like Bags of Hope have increased school test scores by as much as 23 percent in math and 30 percent in learning. In addition, absenteeism and behavior issues decrease up to 40 percent after the first year of participation.
PVCC’s First Saturday Concert Series presentation of Bad Reputation: A Musical Tribute to Women That Rock! begins at 6 p.m. on Saturday, October 6, in the Center for the Performing Arts Outdoor Amphitheater.
This free concert features some of the most memorable and beloved female-fronted rock songs from the 1960s through 2012. A 14-piece professional band fronted by four dynamic vocalists will perform works by artists such as Janis Joplin, Linda Ronstadt, Grace Slick, Joan Jett, Heart, Pat Benetar, Sheryl Crow, Melissa Etheridge, The Eurythmics, No Doubt, Paramore, Amy Winehouse, Grace Potter and more. Audience members are encouraged to bring chairs or blankets for lawn seating.
Paradise Valley Community College is located at 18401 N. 32nd St. in Phoenix, just west of SR-51 off the Union Hills Drive exit. For more information about fine and performing arts events on campus, visit paradisevalley.edu/cpa. For more information about Kitchen on the Street, visit kitchenonthestreet.org/.