Just received the following e-mail from COTS

February 18, 2009

Dear Friends:

We're writing to ask your help for urgently needed food.

In these hard times, we are receiving 20-25 new applications every week for our Food Box Program, which provides about 40 pounds a week of nutritious food for free to needy families and seniors so they don't have to choose between paying their rent and eating. Last year Food Box program volunteers delivered over 500,000 pounds of food to these members of our community.

We've seen a 36% increase in the size of this program compared to the beginning of last year, and would like to provide more food to the senior citizens living in PEP Housing. In this time of increasing need, grocers who have been giving their off-shelf and outdated items to our programs are ordering less food so they may waste less at the end of the day.

Consequently, our food supplies are running dangerously low and our cupboards for the Food Box Program are bare.

We need immediate help from the community so we can continue to serve the needs of our hungry neighbors. Please consider helping us serve those in need by sponsoring a focused food drive to collect a specific item or two.

We are asking for substantial items that go a long way toward supplying a meal, such as pasta and sauce, rice and beans, or boxes of cereal in family sizes.

We ask that food items be delivered to the Petaluma Kitchen at 301 Payran St. between 7am and 3 pm. Questions may be directed to Elizabeth, Judy or Don at 778-6380.


Sincerely,

Judy Hess

Food Programs Manager

Committee on the Shelterless (COTS)

Including The Petaluma Kitchen and The

Family Connection

Phone: (707) 778-6380

Fax: (707) 778-1835

301 Payran Street

Petaluma CA 94952

E- Mail john@cots-homeless.org