Editor:
The first thing I want to do is acknowledge the passing of our volunteer of longest standing, Carmen Hyde.
Carmen had been volunteering at Sweet Home Emergency Ministries for more than 20 years. She was here as recently as October.
When I started volunteering in 2003, the clothing distribution area was already being called Carmen’s Closet.
One of the things she most enjoyed was preparing new baby kits for our clients. These kits were as complete as she could make them and always gift-wrapped.
Carmen is going to be missed very much.
I also thought that I’d pass on a couple of ways that people can increase SHEM’s support. The first involves no extra cost to you at all. If you do not save your Thriftway receipts and they are not already dedicated to another program, please save them for SHEM. We get 1 cent for $1 spent on food.
The last couple of months we have used the money from these receipts to supplement the meat purchased from the Linn-Benton Food Share for our food baskets.
A gentleman from Rhode Island, Alan Feinstein, has been giving away $1 million a year for the past 10 years to anti-hunger agencies. The money is divided proportionately among the agencies based upon the funds they raised during the months of March and April. In order for SHEM to receive some of this money, all you need to do is to write “Feinstein” in the “for” area of your checks.
During the same time, food donations designated as a part of the Feinstein challenge will count as $1 per pound.
If you have been contemplating a canned food drive, this would be a great time to do so. You not only will be helping to feed the hungry, but you would also increase SHEM’s share of the Feinstein money.
Thank you for keeping SHEM in your prayers.
Peggy Blair
Director, SHEM