Ellen Engel

In a fine start to its eighth year of collecting food and funds for the Matthew’s Crossing Food Bank, Reach Out volunteers collected a total of 491 pounds of staple foods and $467 in cash — a very nice response for the first month of any year.

The goal this year is to exceed the organization’s 2014 totals of over 5,200 pound of staples and nearly $3,600 in cash donations.

Matthew’s Crossing serves over 600 needy Chandler families and 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 takes place 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 accepts contributions 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 open during normal business hours at the SLCC Clubhouse for people who cannot make their drop-offs at the regular time(s).

Reach Out Sun Lakes is still actively seeking 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 delivery to the food bank, program bookkeeping, etc.

The food bank itself, located at 1368 Arizona Avenue in Chandler, also needs volunteers on a regular basis. If interested, please call 480-857-2296 and join the many Sun Lakers who already donate time and effort at Matthew’s Crossing.

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