Jim Meagher
When the going gets tough, the tough get going. We are all familiar with this commonly used expression. It is often used by leaders to convey a sense of encouragement or even, at times, a command when confronted with difficult times. Our team at Reach Out Sun Lakes has not experienced a time when the demand for food was as expansive and urgent as at the present moment. When the demand side of the food bank meal resource equation is extremely high, the supply side needs to, and hopefully will, be able to step up to the level of growth in demand. We, readers of the Sun Lakes Splash, can step into the breach and provide the response that is needed by Matthew’s Crossing Food Bank (MCFB) to have sufficient food inventory to meet this geometric growth increase in need this fall. No duplication of the background as to how this situation developed is needed here. It all comes down to this: People who ordinarily are self-sufficient or manage to get along with assistance from programs like SNAP find themselves without employment and/or without SNAP. To say that family and individual food insecurity in the East Valley has mushroomed in the past several months is an understatement.
The solution to this situation is a concerted effort on the part of those who are in a position to make a difference by stepping into the breach and filling the food void created by the broad problem of food insecurity that has been made especially acute at this time because of the stoppage of payments to SNAP recipients of food stamps that are vital to their families in order to have a minimum level of food to keep them nourished adequately. Several of our organizational partners have more than doubled their usual monthly food contributions this month. Through the collective buying power of the regional food banks, community food banks like Matthew’s Crossing are able to acquire nutritious food for as little as $1 per meal. That said, cash donations are most welcome at MCFB if you prefer to donate in that way rather than donating food directly. The mailing address to send cash donations and the process for donating food is provided below.
Your team at Reach Out Sun Lakes wishes you and your family a very happy and blessed holiday season. Through your donations, whether through the organizations you participate in or as individuals, the Sun Lakes community has enabled us to bring nearly 2,700 pounds of food and $2,600 in cash donations this year to date to Matthew’s Crossing. We are honored to serve them by working with you through your generosity.
Last month Rosemary and Dan Marquardt joined the Reach Out Sun Lakes volunteer team. They are new residents of Sun Lakes from Minnesota. Welcome, Rosemary and Dan. We are so pleased you joined in our mission to assist Matthew’s Crossing Food Bank to accomplish its goal of feeding the poor.
To make a food donation or if you have other questions, please contact Jim Meagher by text or voice at 630-346-1966. Cash donations can be mailed to Matthew’s Crossing Food Bank, 1368 N. Arizona Avenue. Unit 112, Chandler, AZ 85225, or made online at their website matthewscrossing.org.
Since this is our last opportunity during 2025 to do so, we want to thank our organizational partners for their generosity and spirit of teamwork and stewardship this year. Their compassion for the working poor and others in need of food assistance is a blessing in our area. They are Unity Church of Sun Lakes, Democratic Club of Sun Lakes, Chandler Democratic Club, Sun Lakes Contract Bridge Club, Sun Lakes Country Club community, Sun Lakes United Church of Christ, and the Corvette Club.