Jim Meagher
Happy New Year to the readers of the Sun Lakes Splash from Reach Out Sun Lakes and our partner, Matthews Crossing Food Bank. Well, we made it through the holidays and now it is time to once again begin a new year. Too much is written about resolutions for change in terms of what we should do and what we might avoid in 2024. We have a mailbox crammed full of solicitations from various organizations pleading with us to financially support their mission.
Each of us must use our best judgment to decide where we deploy our financial resources. One of the rules that I learned as a young manager in business many years ago from one of my mentors was that I should inspect what I expect. I have found this principle effective assistance in making decisions applicable to many areas of life. One place where we can easily inspect to see how our assistance to them is being used is Matthews Crossing. It is a critical resource for the people who live and work near and in our proximate location in Sun Lakes. They are the working poor who rely on a food bank to have sufficient nourishment for their families. We know only too well the way that food prices have skyrocketed in recent years. The reason I mention inspect what is expected in conjunction with this is that all of us need only to drive fewer than 10 miles to Matthews Crossing during their operating hours to see the number of people waiting in line for a box of groceries. They will be happy to have you come in for a tour. Details on that follow. That is how we can see where our donations are going to people who are right here in the east valley. I do believe that charity begins at home. We ask you to join us in 2024 in the support of our very efficient and effective local food bank Matthews Crossing of Chandler.
Reach Out Sun Lakes collects food and financial donations from the following sites. Their year-to-date donation totals are:
Sun Lakes Duplicate Bridge Club (meets at Risen Savior Lutheran Church)—Food 523 pounds, $1,027. Bridge Club Collection is the second Tuesday of each month in the south parking lot between 12:30 and 1:30 p.m.
The Democratic Club of Sun Lakes—Food 291 pounds, $450. The Democratic Club pickup is in the east parking lot at Sun Lakes Country Club before their monthly meeting.
Unity Church—Food 332 pounds, $1,323.
Sun Lakes Country Club (Phase 1)—Food 201 pounds, $207. Donate at Sun Lakes Country Club during their normal working hours in the donation box at the front desk.
Our team has collected $3,270 and 1,388 pounds of food for Matthews Crossing year-to-date.
If you have questions, wish to schedule a visit to Matthews Crossing, or want to make a food donation at an alternate time or location, please contact Jim Meagher at [email protected] or 630-346-1966. Financial contributions can be made at: matthewscrossing.org or by mail to Matthews Crossing Food Bank, 1368 N. Arizona Ave., Suite 112-115, Chandler, AZ 85225. Donations to Matthews Crossing Food Bank are tax-deductible.