Maricopa People

The Gud Ark Sanctuary Bringing Gud things, smiles and light, one animal at a time!

Our Mission -

"Our mission is to heal children’s hearts and minds through the rescue and rehabilitation of animals in need. We do this by creating a safe place for the community, foster, and lower income youth; providing them the experience of learning about and working with agriculture and animals."

Check out this website to learn more about this unique undertaking that rescues both animals and children!

Pinal's People: Maricopa Pantry founder strives to help those who need it.

"MARICOPA — For Jim Shoaf, the value — and his sole focus — of giving back comes from the help it gives.

“I’ve told a lot of people, even my wife, that everybody thinks about when they get to heaven, they want to stand before God and they want him to say ‘well done, my good and faithful servant,’” said Shoaf, cracking a small smile, on a Friday afternoon. “I’ve got a feeling that when I go before God, he’s going to look at me and say, ‘what in the world were you thinking?’”

"Still, it’s evident that helping others and serving God are two things Shoaf is deeply committed to. And, as the founder and CEO of Maricopa Pantry Food Bank and an elder at Mountain View Community Church, he spends much of his days doing exactly that."

"Still, it’s evident that helping others and serving God are two things Shoaf is deeply committed to. And, as the founder and CEO of Maricopa Pantry Food Bank and an elder at Mountain View Community Church, he spends much of his days doing exactly that.

“That’s the only thing I can give to my king is my time,” he said."

This July 2023 article from the Maricopa Monitor by staff writer ROFIDA KHAIRALLA helps to capture some of the uniqueness of humility and generosity of this caring man. Truly a gift to our community. If you don't know anything about this man, take a moment to learn a bit. He is a community treasure.

Russia native finds home, family in America.

Mari Leanna Emily remembers the struggle of making it to America from Russia.

"At age 13, she left the Russian orphanage where she spent her formative years, adopted by a family that brought her to the United States. Her journey to America was a mix of excitement and apprehension as she left everything behind, including friends, caretakers and teachers."

This story was written by Cameron Jobson, an InMaricopa reporter and first published in the July edition of InMaricopa Magazine.

Check the website for the complete story.

TikTok chef shares love of food and culture — with millions of fans

"Shortly after their children leave for school, Ana Regalado and her husband, Ricardo, begin cooking and setting up filming equipment in their Maricopa kitchen. Lights and tripods sit on a countertop along with neatly placed décor and ingredients."

"On this day, Regalado prepares potato taquitos and sopa de fideo, a tomato-based noodle soup. It’s a simple, meat-free dish that is savory and filling.

She smiles for the camera as she goes through multiple takes pouring the soup, sprinkling cheese and presenting the dish to film a one-minute video for her TikTok channel, Salty Cocina."

Regalado may still be shy to talk, but each week she welcomes 2.5 million subscribers into her Maricopa Meadows home to teach them how to prepare a variety of Mexican dishes. She has gained attention on a local and national scale, finding herself featured on the “Today Show” and in The Oprah Magazine.

This article from a 2023 issue of InMaricopa magazine introduces us to our own TikTok channel celebrity chef who has introduced millions to her food and culture. This is a fascinating story of passion, talent and hard work that has taken on a life of its own! Congratulations! Enjoy. A great story.

"Salty Cocina is a family affair.

It’s usually a team effort,” Regalado said, motioning to her husband. “He does the recording and I do the cooking. It works out really well.”

Jack Jackson uses photography to let others see the world as he sees it.

"Jack Jackson was 6 years old when he took his first photograph.

He was on a family vacation in Colorado and hiking in a canyon when he spotted an image he wanted to capture on film. The sun was glistening on a crystal blue stream, and he remembers pointing the camera and taking his first shot.

It was that moment, he recalls, when he fell in love with photography."

A recent article from Pinal Central by Melissa St. Aude a staff writer focused on Jack Jackson a very talented Maricopa photographer on July 21st. Jack was also recently featured in InMaricopa Magazine. Take a look at this interesting article of this Maricopa visual artist. I have one of his images in my own house!

The camera can be very addicting! But capturing that special image is greatly satisfying. If you run into Jack at a local show, take a look at his work and you will understand!

inFOCUS: Maricopa woman lived through Holocaust, World War II

Church gives new life to powerful InMaricopa story.

"Maricopa Church of Celebration hosted a viewing of an evocative InMaricopa interview with Holocaust survivor Lea Stockhammer this morning.

Dozens of locals filled a lecture room in the Maricopa Library and Cultural Center.

The 34-minute interview InMaricopa first published last year expanded on Stockhammer’s experience as a 5-year-old Jewish child in Yugoslavia during World War II."

"We have the opportunity to remember that the stories we read in the pages of our history books happened to real people,” Gores said. “Their stories and their experiences need to carried on … so that we can avoid repeating the mistakes of the past.”

InMaricopa reporter, Monica Spencer, reports on this event in her July 20, 2023, article on this event.

Editor: A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity

"Last month, I learned a Holocaust survivor was living in our midst here in Maricopa. (Read story here.)

Lea Stockhammer resides in Province, but she’s lived through more history than a library full of books.

There are so many lessons to learn from a woman who has lived such an eventful life, especially during the times in which we now find ourselves."

"There’s a wise saying: Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it.

Lea is one of the few people on this earth who have lived long enough and has the life experiences to understand the truth that rings out in those words."

On August 6th, 2022, InMaricopa Magazine Editor Justin Griffin introduced the article that he had written on holocaust survivor Lea Stockhammer who lives here in Maricopa with his opening remarks from the editor. This interview had a profound affect on him and those of us who read the article. Check out Justin's feelings on this interview.