Ellen Engel

Monthly food and cash donations for the Matthew’s Crossing Food Bank in Chandler have continued to increase now that the holiday season is upon us, and the results for November were encouraging, indeed. Generous Sun Lakes residents contributed a total of 1,525 pounds of staple foods and $435 in cash prior to this month’s Splash deadline. Totals donated for the year 2015 so far are just under three tons of foodstuffs and nearly $3,500 in cash.

Contributed dollars are used to pay for basic foods not normally donated, and all items are ultimately channeled to needy families in Chandler.

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; 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 from all over Sun Lakes at the two club sponsored pickup points.

The Sun Lakes Duplicate Bridge Club pickup takes place at the Risen Savior Lutheran Church on Alma School Road in the parking lot from 12:45-1:20 p.m. on the first Monday of each month, and the Sun Lakes Democratic Club accepts contributions just before their monthly meeting on the second Monday of the month at 6:30 p.m. in the parking lot of 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 SLCC.

Reach Out Sun Lakes always welcomes additional volunteers to spend several hours a month helping to handle the collections at our donation locations and assisting with other simple tasks related to donation pickups and delivery to the food bank, as well as program bookkeeping.

For information, to arrange for your organization’s support of this worthwhile program, or to volunteer please contact Ellen Engel at 480-802-0425 or e-mail [email protected].

And if you would enjoy volunteering at the food bank itself, please call them directly at 480-857-2296.