This is a hard time for most of us, we are shorter on cash than we are used to. Most of us, however, are lucky enough to have a place to live and enough to eat. It's important to remember that our local food banks help families ALL YEAR LONG, not just at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Can you take a moment to clean out your cupboards or pantry? Maybe donate $15-20 bucks and make your coffee at home instead of visiting Starbucks this month? Every little bit makes a difference!
Here's what I read in the Contra Costa Times, written by Tanya Rose:
The Monument Crisis Center, a Concord food pantry that serves 5,000 people a month, was forced to close its doors this week after it ran out of food to give away.
Sara Loquin, assistant program manager for the five-year-old pantry, said the hope is to get sufficient food donations, and to buy food at good prices, to be able to reopen Monday.
"We closed early Tuesday because we ran out of food - there is just nothing on the shelves here," Loquin said.
The nonprofit emergency pantry relies on food and cash donations from the community and from businesses to feed more than 1,600 families.
Despite continued support from community food drives and from large corporate donations, food reserves have been low since last year's Thanksgiving-Christmas holiday season, Loquin said.
At the same time, more people are coming through the doors each day asking for bags of groceries because of the ailing economy, she said.
"More individuals are losing their homes, jobs and spirits, and thus are coming to food pantries for help," said Sandra Scherer, the center's executive director.
Last week alone, she said, the pantry gave food to 75 families, and Scherer expects that number to rise each week.
Both women said they hope publicity about the center's plight will result in donations this week.
The center is located at 2350 Monument Blvd. To donate food or other resources, call 925-825-7751.
According to my mother, Terrylynn Fisher, who is a regular supporter of the Crisis Center, this seems to happen yearly around this time, I guess people just run out of steam of forget. So let's take some time to help those less fortunate. No one should go hungry. Thanks!
Hi Chris,
I believe it's important to contribute back to our local community anyway possible. I am volunteer as a "Meals on Wheels" every two weeks in Grand Bay-Westfield with the elderly community. I get the hot food from a cafeteria who has it prepared ahead of time and then I drive to each of their homes. It's very rewarding for me and when I take my girls, they seem to get a community spirit!
With our company, we support the local "Woman's Shelter" for battered women. Which is a great way to give back to the community also.
Keep the Momentum Crisis Center on the minds of the locals and I hope you get more local people to support your cause.
;>)
I agree totally Ann-Marie. The Crisis Center is a wonderful local organization and I plan to go through my pantry at the very least. I am sure that Meals on Wheels is very rewarding!
Chris, you have a heart of gold! This is wonderful work you are doing here and we all need to be part of our communities and the issues that help feed and cloth the needy, abused and mentally ill. Thank you for your work. You inspire us all.
Thank you Jeanean! Very kind words, and I know you are very involved as well, so thanks for all your work!
Chris: What a great cause! Hope you find lots of help from the community. I am sure you will.
Chris - As I read on I was somewhat relieved to hear the food shortage happens every year around this time, making it cyclical not just another sign of the times. The Crisis Center probably kicks into high gear in October in time to prepare for the holiday crunch and gets their volunteers motivated as well. Good luck with this project, a very worthy cause. Your mom must be a very special lady, just as you are!
Chris Ann - I'm sure we'll get the food bank back on track. My daughter's school is getting the word out and doing a food drive as well.
Gail - Thank you! The crisis center is close to my mom's heart. She and her staging group decorated the waiting room there as a community service gift and since then she has been a big supporter.
You know I love how you get your daughter involved with community and giving back. All three generations of Fisher women are heroes in my book, Chris. Good job and way to blog for a cause!
P.S. This one is being featured in the Blog For A Cause Group!
Thank you so much for the feature, Amanda, I appreciate it! I do think it's important that Rhiannon realize we are fortunate. We may not be rolling in the money, but we certainly aren't hurting either. One thing that really hit me was that she said we were "poor" because I had told her we couldn't afford something right now. Had to explain that one right away, and now we talk about things a lot more so she doesn't have misconceptions like this.
You are an excellent mom, Chris! Thanks for helping out with Blog for a Cause! We need to make sure we get these worthy causes featured and expose them as much as possible!
Do you have an update for Monument?
I do, and it's not good. They have to do a raffle for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. Very sad, I'll blog about the Thanksgiving food drive soon.
Hi Chris! Oh, it is tough everywhere! It is so sad! I am involved here too with helping as many charities as possible! Thanks for getting the word out! I have been busy this week handing out bags with a flyer attached. I am working on hitting 400 homes and going back on Saturday to pick up the bags...hopefully full of food for the local food bank!
I hope they get the support they need!
That is wonderful Cristal, great work and great idea! It is such a hard time, I feel like it is very important for me to help people who are having a worse time than I am. If that makes sense.
we are losing every thing we done lost our car no food in the house losing our home husband is disable they cut off his check
I'm so sorry Cynthia. If the Monument Crisis Center cannot help you, please call the Contra Costa Crisis Center, 925.939.1916, they have listings of all sorts of services in our area. Take care,