Our View: You Answered The Call

We’ll be honest. The editorial we planned to write this week would’ve been our best effort to put a positive spin on some disappointing news: that our Summertime Helping Neighbors campaign had fallen just short of its goal to raise $104,000 for the Family Pantry of Cape Cod. We’d planned to tell you that the shortfall might have been linked to the financial insecurity many of us are feeling now, but that the thousands of dollars that had been raised was still a significant achievement that will help the Pantry meet the surge of demand coming this fall.

 And all of that was true — except that, last Friday, we learned that a last-minute surge in donations had helped the campaign edge over its finish line. As of Tuesday morning, the final tally of donations had jumped even further to an incredible $119,820. 

 The contributions came from visitors and summer residents, as well as from year-round supporters whose names we recognize from the donor lists that we publish during the Helping Neighbors holiday edition in November and December. Some contributions accompanied slips clipped out from the print edition and others came electronically, many from those who subscribe to our electronic edition or our free Weekend Update emails. As always, some donations were impressively large, but the small ones were just as heartfelt. Many were made anonymously. And almost all of the contributions were matched dollar-for-dollar by other generous donors.

 It came down to the wire, but as you’ve done each time we’ve asked you to support Helping Neighbors, you answered the call. As a result, many Cape Codders will have food on the table this fall. So there’s just one thing left to say in this editorial.

 Thank you.