The Fountain Hills Christian Ministerial Association (FHCMA) is hosting a food closet on Aug. 15, providing boxes of essential goods for families feeling the pinch of soaring gas, rent and food prices.

“The motivation behind this was the thought that with prices going up, particularly rent, a lot of these young families may need some help,” Senior Pastor Tony Pierce of First Baptist Church said. “With the economy how it is, we feel like there might be more need than what’s being fulfilled right now.”

All 10 churches in the FHCMA, along with Reigning Grace Ranch in Rio Verde, are participating in the food closet, collecting non-perishable items, canned goods and home essentials like soap, toilet paper and feminine products.

As churches begin to collect food items from their members, First Baptist Church (soon to be Cornerstone Family Church) will distribute the goods, which will be packed in boxes made for one to four family members and larger boxes made for five to eight family members. Beginning Aug. 15, boxes will be available for pickup, Sunday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at First Baptist Church, 10215 N. Saguaro Blvd.

First Baptist Church will change its name to Cornerstone Family Church during the first week of September. Details concerning the name change will be released in an upcoming issue of The Times.

“So many people are on a fixed income, so they’re going to be okay for the first part of the month, but by the end of the month, their money is going to be running out,” Pierce said.

To ensure boxes contain the same contents, each church has an assigned list of items to collect and deliver to First Baptist, where they will be packed and distributed.

A vetting process will ensure the food gets to the right people, and while FHCMA is targeting families in need of food assistance, Pierce confirmed that the boxes are available for anyone facing difficulty in this economy.

“The truth is, we just don’t know how many people are going to respond,” Pierce said. Despite the unknowns, Pierce and his congregation are steadfast in their motivation: “We don’t want anybody to go hungry.”