Ellen Engel
Collections of staple food items and cash contributions from our Sun Lakes contributing organizations during June by Reach Out Sun Lakes (ROSL) brought forth 222.5 pounds of grocery items and $957 in cash contributions, a remarkably satisfying outcome for what is normally a very slow season for us because of the absence of our “snowbird” friends.
Our regular monthly contributors and pickup points are shown below. In addition, our convenient food-only contribution bin in the lobby of the Sun Lakes Country Club (SLCC), where any Sun Lakes resident may drop off food donations only, yielded an additional 200 pounds of foodstuffs during May, bringing the food total to 422.5 pounds for the month.
Your cash contributions, by the way, are used to pay for basic foods not normally donated, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, eggs, etc., and all food items are ultimately distributed to needy families that use the free services of Matthew’s Crossing Food Bank of Chandler.
ROSL makes pickups from established collection 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 periodic contributions and donations throughout the year. Your organization can do so as well. But membership in local clubs and congregations is not a criterion. In fact, many individual donors show up monthly at the 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 12:35 to 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).
Our Sun Lakes community continues to have significant impact on meeting the need, both through the monthly “Reach Out” food drives and with resident volunteers who work at the food bank itself, which is located at 1368 Arizona Avenue in Chandler.
Right now, our two stalwart collection volunteers, Howard Lundgren and Jim Meagher, could use one additional volunteer to make food and cash pickups one day per month and make one delivery to the food bank. For further information about Reach Out Sun Lakes or to volunteer to help us out during our collection days – or at the food bank itself – please contact Ellen Engel at 480-802-0425 or email her at [email protected].
Again, thank you, Sun Lakes, and keep up the great work!