Tempe Diablos host ‘Feed the Need’ food drive at McClintock High School 

Tempe community partners serve 300 families in need

Staff Reports | Digital Free Press

The Tempe Diablos and Tempe Diablos Charities partnered with Tempe Elementary School District, the Arizona Coyotes and United Food Bank to host their annual “Feed the Need” food drive, a fundraising effort to combat food insecurity in Tempe and surrounding neighborhoods. 

The organizations came together at McClintock High School in Tempe to provide Thanksgiving meal baskets consisting of green beans, corn, stuffing and a turkey to 300 families, according to a press release.   

“The holiday season is a perfect time to give back, and we are fortunate we are able to do that each year,” said Mike DiDomenico, Tempe Diablos president, in a prepared statement. “We are grateful to be able to work with amazing organizations to bring this event to life and help those in need.”

The families were chosen by the Tempe Elementary School District, which was searching for community members who would benefit most from the outreach effort.  

“Our partnership with the Tempe Diablos is a very special one,” said Michele Grimaldi, Tempe Elementary director of wraparound services. “They help provide for our school district and in our community in many different ways, and they wanted to do something special for the holidays that would really make an impact on the community. Because of this event, more than a thousand people were supported with a holiday meal.”

In 2020, the groups raised funds and donated more than $13,000 worth of nonperishable food items. In 2021, the donation amount increased to $23,000, the release states.  

“The Diablos are incredibly important in our community, and they bridge businesses, business leaders, the community and other organizations like ours, especially where our missions align,” said Nadia Rivera, Arizona Coyotes chief impact officer. “Supporting each other augments our contributions to the community, and this event was about two like-minded organizations coming together to do something impactful because we can do more together.”