Surprise Squad covers groceries for Phoenix shoppers amid high costs

Arizona’s Family Surprise Squad covered grocery bills for Valley shoppers as rising costs and record demand at food banks strain household budgets. At a Fry’s Food Store in Phoenix near 43rd Avenue and McDowell Road, Gibby Parra stepped in at the checkout line to pay full totals for unsuspecting customers. The visits included emotional moments, such as covering breakfast items for a shopper’s birthday and helping another family coping with prices and financial pressure as a single provider. A working mother who had taken unpaid time off for a trip was also surprised when Parra offered to pay her entire bill. The effort was conducted in partnership with Valley Toyota Dealers.