How a small Arizona town saved itself from the COVID-19 food crisis

(Video by Luke Simmons/Cronkite News)

Ajo, Arizona, is an unincorporated community 110 miles south of Phoenix. It borders the Tohono O’odham Indian Nation, serving as a hub for supplies for some of the 7,500 people who live on the reservation. The Ajo Center for Sustainable Agriculture is a nonprofit working in agricultural education, culturally appropriate food and economic development. When the coronavirus pandemic hit Ajo, the shelves of its one grocery story were cleaned out. The organization’s all Native American board stepped up to feed its community.

News Visual Journalist, Phoenix

Luke Simmons of Georgia is pursuing a master’s degree in mass communication with a focus in health reporting. After earning a degree in international affairs from the University of Georgia in 2015, he joined the Peace Corps and served as an agroforestry volunteer in Guinea.