"To collaboratively serve our community by providing emergency food, shelter, housing and support in ways that meet immediate needs and respect human dignity."
I hope you had an enjoyable summer and were able to fit in all your planned activities and events this time of year brings. Here at the Shalom Center the summer months also mean dwindling food supplies in the Food Pantry and a significant dip in financial contributions. While many are now focusing on the new school year, planning and preparing for fall activities and even the upcoming holidays; at the Shalom Center we are focusing our planning on the long winter ahead and gathering the resources needed to provide food, shelter and warm meals for those that otherwise would go without.
It is also a time to thank you for all your past support and helping us make our past fiscal year, which ended on June 30, another successful one. We at the Shalom Center recognize that local contributions and volunteers are the backbone of our programs in carrying out our mission of serving the less fortunate in our community. In fact you provide approximately 60% of our annual operating revenue and the 15 to 17 tons of food we distribute every month to operate our programs. We very sincerely thank you for your many years of support. However, the demand for our services continues to rise so I ask you to please remember the Shalom Center at this busy time of year and throughout the year because we need your support more than ever.
Much of our effort and energy is directed to seek-out new individuals, corporations and foundations to join us in supporting the essential services We provide for the hungry and homeless families of our community. I ask you to join us by sharing information about our programs and your support with family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, employers anyone you can think of and encourage them to join with you in supporting our programs. There are many in need and much work to be done but I know that together we will continue to meet the challenges we face.
