Dear Champaign County Friends:
Our federal government soon will be mailing me a $1,200 stimulus check.
It’s not that I can’t use it. But my wife and I don’t need the money to feed ourselves. And it’s money that people who can’t feed themselves don’t have.
So we’re giving it to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Clark, Champaign and Logan Counties (theshfb.org).
Introductions are in order.
I’m Tom Stafford. Some of you may know me as a long time columnist for the Springfield News-Sun. I’ve been here since 1978 and never seen our communities in such need. That’s why I’ve established the 1200 Club, named after the stimulus check amount, to support the food bank.
My dream is that there are 99 other people in Clark, Champaign and Logan counties who might be able to match our donation. That would rack up $120,000 for the food bank.
But here’s the deal: You don’t have to give $1,200 to be in the club. Any amount will be appreciated. More than that, it will be warmly welcomed. You can be part of it even if you decide to give to another worthy community cause, of which there are many.
And here’s my simple pitch for the food bank.
All of you surely know what it does as a partner to 60 pantries and agencies in our three county area. Among them are The Wherehouse (Urbana United Methodist Church), Caring Kitchen, Concord Community Food Pantry, North Lewisburg Food Pantry, St. Paris Community Food Pantry and Oasis of Mercy Food Pantry in Mechanicsburg.
Some of you may not know that Second Harvest was reorganized on Jan. 1 by a group of stand-up people who decided that we, the people of Clark, Champaign and Logan counties, would take responsibility for helping to feed our neighbors of Clark, Champaign and Logan counties – and their children.
At a time when the social safety net has had to expand to a cargo net, Second Harvest needs our help to do that.
End of pitch.
So how can you join the 1200 Club?
Those who do their donations online can:
1. Go to theshfb.org.
2. Click on Donate Now
3. Give what you can.
4. In the box that says “Do you have a special purpose for your donation,” write: I’m in the club.
My fellow snail-mailers can:
1. Write a check for any amount.
2. Scribble “I’m in the club” somewhere on it.
3. Mail it to Second Harvest Food Bank, 31 N. Sycamore St., Springfield, OH 45503.
Once the danger passes and it’s safe, we’ll have a party at which the Hugely Brothers, a band I’m in, will play. At this party, we’ll take a group picture, if we can, and celebrate.
In the meantime, those who join can enjoy the chief benefits of 1200 Club membership: Helping to feed others while at the same time feeding your soul.
All this is satisfaction guaranteed, tax deductible, and not reserved for licensed drivers only.
Welcome to the club.
