To the editor:

As a board member of Good Cheer, I have found confusion among our friends about the capital campaign whose progress is being measured on the large thermometer in front of the Good Cheer building on Bayview Road. The campaign has a $1.4 million goal, of which just over $1 million has been pledged to date.

Part of this money has allowed the purchase and remodeling of the Masonic Temple into a modern food bank, three times larger than the previous bank. It also has been used to develop an efficient processing center where item donations are sorted and priced before they are sent to the thrift stores. This new processing center increases the space available for this function five-fold. Sales from the thrift stores cover all of Good Cheer’s overhead expenses. Because of this plan, all monetary donations given for food are spent only for food purchases.

We are now appealing to the local community to help us complete the capital campaign. The remaining money would be used to renovate the Langley Thrift Store so the second floor could be available for retail sales.

It is estimated that the improved thrift store would generate about $30,000 each year in increased sales.

A gift to the capital campaign is one that will benefit Good Cheer for years to come.

Donations should be mailed to Good Cheer, PO Box 144 Langley, WA 98260, and clearly marked for the capital campaign.

Watch the newspaper for updates on this campaign. Any board member would be pleased to answer your questions.

Ann R. Gallagher

Clinton