To the editor:

I want to thank all the people of Lehigh who donated to our yard sale or who purchased items at our yard sale. It was such a success that we will probably have another one in September.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 16 percent of the population of Lee County is at or below the poverty level. That is almost two out of every 10 people. While we are sitting down to a nice dinner, there are people in Lehigh who wonder where there next dinner is coming from.

Together with Harry Chapan Food Bank and First Community Congregational Church has been able to fulfill some of that need. The food from Harry Chapan is not free (it is free to our clients), but we pay 18 cents a pound.

We buy approximately 2,500 to 5,000 pounds a week. It is a tidy, little sum for a small congregation. In 2015, across five ministries – the food pantry, the bread pantry, the soup kitchen, the produce pantry and the senior ministry – we served over 140,000 people.

We established Helping Hands Ministries to cope with the problem. Every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday during season (during the summer we are closed on Thursdays), folks can come and get their groceries once a month.

We have canned fruits, vegetables, soups, and dry goods like mash potatoes, rice and beans. They can also pick up frozen meat. Every Friday, we have a produce pantry where clients can get fresh fruits and vegetables like apples, potatoes, onions, or whatever is in season.

We also have a soup kitchen on Friday, where people can get a hot meal. On Saturdays, we have a bread ministry, and we have an over 60 food outreach ministry.

Financing these ministries cost money. We have fundraisers like yard sales, bingo, bunco, bakes sales, fish frys and dinners to finance the purchase of food for the poor.

Once again, thank you people of Lehigh Acres for participating in our yard sale.

Reverend Deborah Frysinger

First Community Congregational Church