Today in our communities, parents are quietly skipping meals so their children can eat. Worse are the children who go to bed hungry. Seniors are sitting alone in dark homes because they can’t afford both groceries and electricity. Families are sleeping in their cars, unsure where they’ll go tomorrow. Yes, this is in Collin County. Every day.

It is hard to imagine in our affluent area that there are so many families struggling to survive. Yet, they live next door, go to school with our children, and pass us each day. These are single parents, large extended families, grandparents raising their grandchildren and lonely seniors in dire situations who have nowhere to turn to for emergency assistance, compassion and hope. And during the holidays, their struggles are even greater.

While ACO strives to meet the needs of hunger in Collin County every day, we recognize the additional impact that the government shutdown is having on many of our neighbors. ACO will support these families in need in every way possible, including access to the ACO Food Pantry and ACO Cares Center.

It has been all over the news this week with concern of our local families losing SNAP benefits beginning November 1. If COVID brought us any silver lining, it was preparation for widespread impact, how ACO can step in and manage an influx in need, and how we can count on our community to help and support each other. Thank you for your calls and emails asking how you can help! And thank you for your donations and financial gifts.

Invitations have been out for weeks, plans have been months in the making, and tonight is the night for ACO’s Big Birthday Bash! It will be THE party of the year, and I’m hoping that you’ve all purchased your tickets and will be there. (If not, there’s still time if you hurry- read below.)

We’ll be decked out in our 1980’s garb (yes, I was one of the blue eyeshadow wearing, big hair teens of the 80’s) and we will be dancing to all our favorite tunes from our proms and that we played on our car stereos. The food and drink will be fabulous, there will be fun silent auction items for bids, and a big dance-off for those willing to show off their moves.