Local ministries to give away thousands of free water bottles Thursday

Working families trying to stretch grocery money, seniors on fixed incomes and unsheltered residents will be among the people most likely to need the free water giveaway set for Yuma, where heat and everyday expenses often rise together. Benevolence in Action Ministries and the Gethsemani Food Ministry plan to bring five truckloads of water to American Legion Post 19, enough to help hundreds of households if the turnout matches past demand.

The giveaway is set to begin at 7 a.m. Thursday, April 24, 2026, at American Legion Post 19, 2575 S. Virginia Dr. in Yuma. Water will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis until supplies run out, making an early arrival important for anyone hoping to receive bottles before the supply is gone.

Rev. Alex Montoya said the ministries have been doing well since they started, and he noted that lines for similar giveaways can sometimes stretch to 200 or 300 cars. That kind of turnout points to more than a simple donation drive. It shows how basic needs, especially hydration in a desert city, have become part of the cost-of-living pressure many Yuma County residents are already carrying.

The ministries’ work also fits into a longer pattern of local outreach. Benevolence in Action Ministries previously drew an estimated 200 cars to a free food drive at American Legion Post 19 in November 2025, another sign that the post has become a regular stop for residents looking for practical help. In a county where summer temperatures can quickly become dangerous, even small acts of relief can make a measurable difference for households trying to get through the week.

Yuma County has also leaned on cooling centers and water access points during extreme heat, with 18 cooling centers and three water sites identified in August 2025. The free water distribution adds another layer of support at a time when families are already making hard choices about what they can afford and how long they can stay safe outdoors.

Gethsemani Baptist Church’s food distribution program has been described as a 25-year ministry serving about 300 families every Sunday, underscoring how long-running faith-based aid has become part of the social safety net in southern Yuma County. Thursday’s water giveaway extends that same kind of steady, hands-on relief at a moment when the county’s summer pressures are only beginning to build.