Ellen Engel
Reach Out Sun Lakes, a volunteer coordinating group for local charities, continues to collect food and dollars to support the work of the Matthew’s Crossing Food Bank, which serves over 600 needy Chandler families, because hunger does not stop during the sizzling summer months or national holidays.
The partial totals for September are quite stunning. 312 pounds of food and $395 in cash were donated by these sponsoring organizations: The Sun Lakes Bridge Club, Unity of Sun Lakes and the food collection center (sponsored by the Democratic Club) located inside the Sun Lakes Country Club building where people unable to schedule their food donations to match the Bridge Club and Democratic Club collection times (see below) may deposit food items whenever the building is open.
After this month’s newspaper deadline we will also see donations from the Sun Lakes Democratic Club and the Sun Lakes Jewish Congregation and we will report on those next month.
Officials at Matthew’s Crossing report that every dollar of cash donations will purchase more than 10 pounds of staple foods!
The October collections will take place on the first two Mondays. The Bridge Club collection will occur between 12:40 and 1:15 p.m. on the fifth in the parking area at Risen Savior Lutheran Church and School (corner of Alma School Road and East Oakwood Drive) and the Democratic Club pickup will be outside the Sun Lakes Country Club (Phase One Clubhouse) at 6:30 p.m. on the twelfth a half-hour before the Democratic Club meeting. In both locations, look for the Reach Out Sun Lakes sign and people in yellow tee shirts.
Any Sun Lakes resident may contribute; membership in a participating sponsor organization is not a criterion. But Reach Out Sun Lakes is always seeking new individual donors and new sponsoring groups. For example, the congregations of Unity of Sun Lakes and the Sun Lakes Jewish community also currently make regular and meaningful contributions each month.
For further information, or if you have questions, please contact Ellen Engel at 480-208-0425 or email her at [email protected].