Ellen Engel
Yes, egg cartons. Many local poultry farmers contribute fresh-laid eggs to Matthew’s Crossing Food Bank in Chandler, but the food bank has trouble stocking enough egg cartons in which to package the eggs for delivery to the more than 600 needy families it serves. So the call is out! Save your empty egg cartons and bring them to the September collection points (see below).
In the two August collections of food and cash, our loyal volunteers collected from only two local organizations because of summer suspensions by some of our other regular contributors. The Sun Lakes Bridge Club contributed $100 in cash, while the Sun Lakes Democratic Club tallied $20 in cash and 95 pounds of staple foods. The August total was a very nice response for a month in which almost everyone leaves town!
This month’s donations have brought nearly four tons of foods (like rice, beans, cereals and canned goods) and total cash of well over $2,700 to needy residents.
Any Sun Lakes resident may contribute at established pickup points sponsored by the Sun Lakes Duplicate Bridge Club and the Sun Lakes Democratic Club. Membership in these clubs is not a criterion. In fact, many individual donors show up at these two club-sponsored pickup points from all over Sun Lakes; the Bridge Club pickup at the Risen Savior Lutheran Church on Alma School Road on the first Monday of each month from 12:30—1:20 p.m. and the Sun Lakes Democratic Club on the second Monday at 6:30 p.m. at 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 located at the SLCC clubhouse for people who cannot make their drop-offs at the regular time(s).
Reach Out Sun Lakes is actively seeking additional volunteers to spend several hours a month helping to supervise collections at our donation locations and handling tasks related to delivery to the food bank, bookkeeping, etc. For further information, to arrange for your organization’s support of this worthwhile program, or to volunteer personally, please contact Ellen Engel at 480-802-0425 or email [email protected].
The food bank, located at 1368 Arizona Avenue in Chandler, also needs volunteers. If you are interested in being of service, call 480-857-2296 and join the many Sun Lakers who already donate time and effort at Matthew’s Crossing.