Thanks to everyone who donated and thanks to volunteers from GE Finance and Chris Arrington’s crew for picking up and sorting.

Food requests at Irving Cares increased 30% over last year to 700 families per month.  We really needed this donation!

 And some days they look like this.

The Food Pantry at Irving Cares provided groceries for 8,282 families last year. During a random survey of clients, 68% said they were hungry but didn’t eat because there wasn’t enough money for food. 95% said the Food Pantry helped prevent hunger in their household.  To serve these families, we need nearly 60,000 pounds of groceries per month.

Can you imagine not being able to feed your family? It was a reality for 8,282 families last year. You can help by supporting the Food Pantry with a donation this weekend through the National Association of Letter Carriers’ food drive on May 12. Place your nonperishable donation near your mailbox, and your mail carrier will get it to Irving Cares.

Help us fill the shelves so that we can eliminate hunger in Irving, Texas. Donate online at www.irvingcares.org. Hold a food drive where you live, work or worship.

Irving Cares is celebrating 55 years of service to the Irving community. Founding fathers said, “Cooperation is the Answer!” We can’t do this work without your help.

Our top five needs are peanut butter, jelly, soup, meat (chili, chicken, tuna), and toilet paper. Consider donating these items, or donate now. We can’t do it without you.

Make a Mother’s Day donation to Irving Cares to honor the women who are important to you!  Honor your mother, grandmother, wife, aunt or any favorite lady with a gift to Irving Cares. For each donation, a personalized Mother’s Day letter will be mailed to the honoree, or to the remembered family, letting them know a gift was made in their name.

Please provide your honoree’s name and address in “Additional Information” on the donation page so we can send a personalized acknowledgement. Donate online or mail your check and acknowledgement information today!

With a donation to Irving Cares you choose a Mother’s Day gift that will make a difference in the lives of your neighbors in need.

In the past fiscal year:

Irving Cares helped more than 260 families with a rent or mortgage payment; based follow up calls, 94% were not evicted within 90 days of receiving assistance.  More than 570 families attended Money Management class to learn budgeting; 95% could identify three things they learned after the class. Irving Cares food pantry served 690 families per month with nutritious groceries, a 29% increase over last year’s average. In a survey of food pantry clients, 95% said “Yes,” in the past 12 months, they have been worried about having enough food for their family; and 68% said “Yes,” they had been hungry but didn’t eat because there wasn’t enough money for food. Your support feeds families in need. 82% of Irving school children are eligible to receive free and reduced price meals at school. Summer means children are home and feeding them can strain the family budget. Help us stock the food pantry in preparation for summer.

Join us for the 22nd Great Harvest on Friday, September 28, at the Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas.  Co-chairs Larry Clements and Chris Clements are planning a night to remember with friends, food and fundraising including dinner and live and silent auctions.  All funds go to help Irving families experiencing a temporary crisis.  For more information contact, Teddie Story, (972) 721-9181 ext. 203, tstory@irvingcares.org.  See you there!

Help the North Texas Food Bank by sorting and packing food for their various feeding programs. Please visit www.ntfb.org/volunteer to read about their volunteer opportunities and fill out an inquiry form for the one that most interests you or your group.  When you designate Irving Cares, your volunteer time does double duty.