Gathering of Queens seeks donations from local community
Oct. 31—ANDERSON — For the past two years, the Gathering of the Queens Royal Sisterhood has been distributing food and other items on a weekly basis to those in need.
Every Tuesday, the Gathering of Queens operates a mobile pantry at the former Speedway station at the intersection of Nichol and Raible avenues.
Starting this month, the organization is seeking contributions from community members to continue to meet the need through the winter months.
Marilyn Collier, a founder of the Gathering of the Queens, said the group is hoping that 1,000 community members will provide a minimum of $20 in an effort to raise $20,000.
"We know all our money can't come from corporate sponsors," she said. "We know that people might not be able to donate $100, so we're hoping for donations of $20."
Collier said with food insecurity and rising prices, the goal is to raise $20,000 to be able to purchase more canned goods for distribution.
Starting at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Speedway station, the group will distribute 50 cases of chicken obtained through Kroger.
Donations can be made at the pantry site; by mail to The Gathering of the Queens, 2222 W. 12th St., Anderson, IN, 46016; or through the Facebook pages for Network for Good and The Gathering of the Queens.
Collier said the organization is also starting the Princess Project next year. The mentoring and nurturing program will be for girls and their moms.
"There are a lot of mentoring projects for school-age girls," she said. "Project Princess is for girls in preschool and their mothers."
Collier said the program will include health and wellness, education, tutoring and music.
"We know for a single mother or a mother with several children, it can be overwhelming at times," she said. "We want to provide support."
Collier said mothers and their daughters may start signing up for the program in January, with classes expected to start in March at the Impact Center.
"We appreciate the mayor recognizing us as a noteworthy organization," she said. "The Queens organization continues to work hard to address issues throughout the city."
Follow Ken de la Bastide on Twitter @KendelaBastide, or call 765-640-4863.
