Why we gather every October

This past July, our team served more households than in any month since we reopened our client-choice pantry in 2022. Those numbers have gone up almost every month this year.

It would be easy to say we cannot take on any more families. That is not who CARES is. Our volunteers keep stepping up, our team keeps finding a way, and together we keep serving the families who walk through our doors needing a little help.

But we cannot do it alone. Our events account for only about half of what it takes to run a year here. Food costs are up. Utilities are up. The need is up. And every family who came to us this past year qualifies for long-term support, which means our costs and our volunteer hours will keep growing right along with them.

That is what this one evening in October is really for. It is the night our partners, our sponsors and our friends fill a room — and what happens in that room carries our shelves through the hardest months of the year.

Our volunteer Dotty taught us to answer every chance to help with two simple words. When someone asked her why she gave, she just said, “Why not?” So — why not join us at the table this year? I would love to see you there.