Once again, the Escalon Ministerial Association is seeking donations from the community, with the goal of helping to provide for those in need.

The EMA Christmas Fund is a way to provide food vouchers for the holidays, assisting local families in putting a hot, nourishing holiday meal on the table.

EMA President David Vander Meulen recently sent out a letter asking for donations and anyone that wants to donate and didn’t receive a letter can mail a check, payable to the Escalon Ministerial Association, P.O. Box 1, Escalon, CA 95320.

Marion Van Vliet serves as secretary for the EMA and said the organization saw a huge increase for 2020, during the height of the pandemic.

“It almost doubled,” Van Vliet said of the program, noting that $30,000 in donations came in to provide the food vouchers, up from $18,000 in 2019.

For 2021, he said, the need continues and they hope to provide as many vouchers to families as possible.

The amount of each voucher depends on the number of people in the family. The $30,000 raised last year was enough to distribute vouchers to 169 families in need, accounting for 836 individuals.

Van Vliet said donations are requested by Monday, Dec. 6 so they can prepare the vouchers and get them to families in time for the Christmas holiday.

The Escalon Ministerial Association also oversees the local C.A.R.E., Community Action Resources of Escalon, food cupboard, which is another avenue locally to meet emergency food needs.

If you know of anyone who would benefit from receiving a voucher, contact one of the churches in Escalon to provide them with the family’s name, address, telephone number and the number of people in their home.