October 10, 2010
Dear Arthur and Mary,
How are you? What is really scary about the food scarcity situation at the Food Pantry of St. Matthew Trinity Lutheran Church is how the numbers of Pawtucket residents in need soared in September 2010.
After the SMTLC food pantry numbers peaked at 2,030 city residents served in October 2009, the numbers dropped to 719 served in August 2010. We thought our purchasing of food could go down. However, the numbers in need rose to over 1,040 in September 2010. What makes the figure really concerning is out of 530 families served last month, 133 were new families in food need.
As a result, our closet is empty, even with the most diligent assistance from the Rhode Island Community Food Bank. We need all forms of cereals, Pop Tarts, and any non-perishable foods. For more information, one could contact me at jamesmatuszek@cox.net.
Thanks for your kindness and concern.
Peace, Jim