Ellen Engel
Food collections and cash donations to Reach Out Sun Lakes for the first two months of 2015 continue to be outstanding and it all goes to the Matthew’s Crossing Food Bank in Chandler.
January collections yielded 657 pounds of basic foods and $502 in cash donations, while the February pickups so far have added 350 pounds of food and $365 in cash contributions, for a two-month total of just over a half-ton of food and just under $867 in cash.
The two-month totals for each of our major organizational donors were as follows: Sun Lakes Duplicate Bridge Club, 421 pounds of food and $600; Sun Lakes Democratic Club, 322.5 pounds of food and $54; Unity of Sun Lakes, 101.5 pounds of food and $213; and the Sun Lakes Jewish community, 152 pounds of food (January contribution only – February pickup comes later in the month). Thank you, Sun Lakes.
Matthew’s Crossing serves over 600 Chandler families so the need is great and any Sun Lakes resident may contribute at established pickup points sponsored by the Sun Lakes Duplicate Bridge Club and the Sun Lakes Democratic Club. Other local organizations, including the Sun Lakes Jewish congregation and Unity of Sun Lakes, also make regular contributions and donations – and your organization can do so, as well.
Membership in local clubs and congregations is not a criterion for contributing. In fact, many individual donors show up at these two club-sponsored pickup points from all over Sun Lakes. The Bridge Club pickup takes place at the Risen Savior Lutheran Church on Alma School Road from 12:30-1:20 p.m. on the first Monday of each month, and the Sun Lakes Democratic Club accepts contributions on the second Monday at 6:30 p.m. at the Sun Lakes Country Club (SLCC).
For those who cannot make it to the formal pickup locations at specific times, a collection point is also open during normal business hours at the Sun Lakes Country Club.
The food bank itself, which is located at 1368 Arizona Avenue in Chandler, also needs volunteers on a regular basis. If this opportunity interests you, please call their volunteer coordinator at 857-2296.
For further information, to arrange for organizational support for this very worthwhile program, or to volunteer your own personal services, please contact Ellen Engel at 480-802-0425 or e-mail her at [email protected].