NEWSLETTER
SUMMER 2020
Hunger Doesn’t Take A Summer Vacation

The 2020 Summer Squeeze Challenge kicked off Monday, July 13 and your participation this year means more now than ever.
Summer is easily the busiest time of year at Irving Cares. As classrooms and cafeterias close, many children also lose access to school meals they depended on during the school year. Though some participate in Irving ISD’s “ Grab and Go ” summer meals program, food pantry requests increase significantly during the summer months. This year, early school closures, changes in work schedules and the need for social isolation layered extra burdens on our Irving neighbors. And now, hundreds of families who never thought they’d need food assistance are turning to the Irving Cares food pantry because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, we saw over 1,000 new families in the past three months alone. The COVID-19 pandemic reminds us that anyone, at any time, in any circumstance, could need a little extra help putting food on the table.

Irving Cares Response to COVID-19
The growing COVID-19 crisis threatens to disproportionately affect low income households not only in the short-term, but as a devastating social and economic crisis for the upcoming months and years to come. Cases of the novel coronavirus in Irving has jumped to 1,517, making it the second hardest hit city in Dallas county, just behind the city of Dallas. In total, 19 Irving residents have died from the virus in recent weeks.


Happy Retirement, Karlene!
Karlene Swaynie retired from Irving Cares on July 10, 2020, after more than 10 years serving the Irving community. A resident of Irving since 2002, Karlene first became engaged at Irving Cares in 2011 as a Food Pantry volunteer. She later trained to become an intake volunteer and a volunteer case manager and in 2012, Karlene was hired as the executive administrative assistant.

Upcoming Dates
SEP 2020
North Texas Giving Day
September 17, 2020
NOV 2020
Golf Tournament
November 19, 2020
JAN 2021
Signature Gala
January 22, 2021