Our View: We’re Down To The Wire, Folks

That’s just about a wrap on the summer of 2025. The kids are heading back to college, school buses are on the road, and soon it will be easier to make a left-hand turn again. 

But there’s a bit of unfinished business to consider. Our annual Summertime Helping Neighbors campaign for the Family Pantry of Cape Cod has been a great success, raising thousands of dollars since the Fourth of July. But it looks like we’ll fall short of reaching our $104,000 fundraising goal by Monday, Labor Day. 

It’s a problem because we know for sure that this fall and winter will be a time of unprecedented need on the Lower Cape. We’re hearing stories already of people visiting the Family Pantry who’ve never needed help before: veterans, retired teachers, health care workers. If you think you have an idea about what the average food pantry client looks like, you’re probably mistaken.

We know we’ve been pounding the Helping Neighbors drum pretty hard all summer, and we deeply appreciate your generosity. If you haven’t given yet, please consider doing so, taking advantage of the generous matching grant that will double your gift. If you’ve already given, on behalf of your neighbors, thank you.

From the anonymous donors who give thousands to the visitors to The Chronicle’s lobby who put dollar bills in the jar, we’re all doing our part to make sure people in our community have enough to eat. If we can do that, then the legacy of the summer of 2025 will be more than just happy memories and fading tan lines.