By Rick Palsgrove
Groveport Editor
Groveport Police Chief Casey Adams loads food donations at the previous Cram the Cruiser event in 2019.
You can help the Groveport Police stock the Groveport Food Pantry by donating items to the Cram the Cruiser Food Drive.
“We haven’t done it in recent years, but when we held it the last time (in 2019) it went better than anyone anticipated,” said Groveport Police Chief Casey Adams. “We want to help the food pantry, especially with the holidays and winter coming.”
The Cram the Cruiser Food Drive, which is part of National Faith & Blue Weekend, will be held Oct. 7 from 9 a.m. to noon at two locations: 449 Main Street (near the Little Italy parking lot) and 6031 Groveport Road (the old 5/3rd Bank parking lot).
Groveport Police officers will be stationed at both locations to collect critical items, such as canned goods, prepackaged foods, and diapers for children. The goal is to fill the police cruisers to capacity with essential donations to bolster the resources of the Groveport Food Pantry in order to help those in need
The Groveport Police joined with local churches to spread the word about the event among the congregations and community in an effort to gather a lot of donations.
“This event not only demonstrates our commitment to community service, but also underscores our dedication to building a more inclusive and connected community in partnership with our local faith leaders,” said Adams.
Types of food and items needed include:
•canned foods including soups, vegetables, fruits, beans, broth, ravioli, chicken, and tuna;
•Grains, beans (including dried beans, refried beans, baked beans, kidney beans, pinto beans), rice (including brown rice, white rice, long grain rice, and flavored rice), and pasta (including spaghetti, lasagna, pasta shells, macaroni);
•Packaged groceries such as instant potatoes, salad dressing, crackers, condiments, peanut butter, and jelly; and baby items including diapers and wipes.
•The food pantry will also accept gift cards for groceries for the purchase of meat, fresh produce, and bread.
Do not donate items needing refrigeration, expired food, baked goods, leftovers, or food with packaging concerns.
For information, contact the Groveport Police Department at its non-emergency number at 614-830-2060.
For information on the Groveport Food Pantry, visit groveportfoodpantry.com.
National Faith & Blue Weekend is an initiative that connects law enforcement, faith leaders, and the community through events nationwide from Oct. 6-8. For information, visit https://faithandblue.org.
