Could YOU put nutritious meals on the table if your income was $750/month? 

Good nutrition is really important, and food assistance like that received from RCCS does more than fill bellies.  Here are some of the outcomes that have been demonstrated by research:

• Access to food can help fight obesity, and in turn diabetes and other dangerous diseases.
• Kids who get enough food are in better shape to learn at school - and education is critical to helping them escape poverty in the future.
• And seniors who get enough food are at less risk of depression or becoming underweight, which makes them more vulnerable to illness.  Food aid also helps them to afford skipping medical treatment or prescription medication doses when they run out of money.
• RCCS helps people to avoid a downward spiral, potentially into homelessness, if they can't meet their basic living expenses without skipping nutritious meals.

Let me paint a little picture about those who come to us for help.  The majority have at least one working person in their household, and many have two.  What they're earning, however, is meager. Over the summer we calculated that our clients are earning a mid-point of $750/month.  That's well below the federal poverty level, which is defined as $21,200 per year for a family of four.
 
Our clients have to spend what they earn on the very basics:  rent, utility bills, gas to get to work.  Food stamps, if they receive them, now last an average of 2 1/2 weeks.  It's been well documented that people who are poor pay higher prices for food because they live in areas with few grocery stores.  Still, people who are poor actually spend less in total on food than most of us - by purchasing food that is cheap and filling, but less nutritious.
 
If our clients' hours at work are reduced, or they have an unexpected expense like a medical bill or car repair, they are bumped from barely making it to not making it.  At that point, they turn to us to help make ends meet, so that they can feed their families.  Many of those who came to us in September had never asked for food aid before.
 
That's why the mission of RCCS is so important.  The humble gift of a three-day meal supply can make the difference for a family living on the edge.  With your help, we provide food, compassion, and hope.