PHOENIX – More help is on the way for families in need here in the Valley, and it’s all thanks to Grand Canyon University and a national organization called City Serve.

The two joined forces to fill a 35,000 square foot warehouse on the GCU campus with $ 400,000 of household items.

The shelves are full of just about everything anyone needs to start a home and house a family; things like small kitchen appliances, furniture, bedding, and even pet supplies. It’s a project that GCU President Brian Mueller says is just the start of big changes for neighboring families.

“It’s a neighborhood of immigrants, there is a lot of poverty here, there is a lot of crime here, but we are making huge progress, and City Serve is going to help us take it to another level,” said Mueller.

City Serve’s mission is to help local churches make more impact in their communities.

The items are donated by big box retailers and, in many cases, would end up in landfills.

Instead, they will be used to meet a growing need, according to local nonprofit organizer Nicolee Thompson.

“It’s kind of the pace of need now, but there are so many new needs that you have families and people who have never used social services before,” she said.

This is part of an ongoing effort to get GCU involved in the community immediately surrounding the school’s central Phoenix campus.

“We truly believe that we are in this place right now not only to serve GCU, but to serve this immigrant neighborhood. City Serve will help us bring physical goods into the homes of people who are struggling to build a life here, ”he continued.

GCU and City Serve are in partnership with local PODS distribution points. They are local or non-profit churches. Families interested in obtaining some of the items in this program should contact these PODS to begin the distribution process.