News Around Town: Put in your social distancing shoes and head into downtown Matthews for the Farmer’s Market and Santé’s Saturday Morning Market. The Farmer’s Market started their regular market hours (8 am to noon) last weekend with social distancing rules in place. Many vendors also offer pre-ordering to pay ahead, making your trip quick and easy. Santé’s Market is open from 8 am to 11 am and filled with a variety of Chef Adam’s signature fare as well as locally sourced groceries.

One Good Thing: The Matthews Beacon HELP Center pantry drive is a go: Helpers helping HELPers! Our collectors so far include Hampton Green, Brightmoor, Matthews Plantation, and Good Cup.

We’re keeping this drive short and sweet so there is no time to waste! The contest ends May 3.

If you’d rather give dollar donations, we’re counting $1 as 1 can and, after the contest is over, we’ll dollar match up to $1,000 with our own donation to the center.

If you donate online, email Renee both the dollar amount and which collecting site to credit.

Each location will have a labeled bin and lid. A Beacon rep will pick up donations every other day through the end of collection.

Collect for the Community: Today is the final day to sign up to be a collection location for the pantry drive. Each collection spot is competing for getting the most donations and the spot that collects the most goods will be A Big Beacon Deal and will receive a one-year top-shelf advertising package from the Beacon! Want to collect, but don’t need advertising? We’ll hook you up with some amazing Beacon swag. The deadline to sign up as a collection location is today (April 24) at 5 pm. Email Renee if you want to give it a go.