HARTFORD COURANT
by Jesse Leavenworth
Kyle Caldwell, left, and Dave Tedeschi, emergency medical technicians with Ambulance Service of Manchester, at the 2013 Emergency of Hunger Food Drive. (Courtesy of Ambulance Service of Manchester)
First responders and other volunteers in Manchester, South Windsor and Vernon will be collecting food and cash donations to stock area food pantries, starting in Manchester on Saturday and Sunday.
Coordinated by the Ambulance Service of Manchester, the Emergency of Hunger Food Drive is in its 11th year. This year, Highland Park Market is joining the effort, hosting collections at the Manchester store, food drive spokesman Patrick Gleason said.
Along with police officers, firefighters and ambulance crews, participants include the Manchester Area Conference of Churches, Hockanum Valley Community Council, South Windsor Food and Fuel Bank, Police Explorers and Rotary Club members.
On Saturday and Sunday, volunteers will be collecting turkeys, chickens, non-perishable food items, cash and gift cards at Highland Park Market, 317 Highland St., and Stop & Shop supermarket, 318 West Middle Turnpike. Collections on both days are scheduled for 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Collections are to continue on Nov. 23 and 24 at both Manchester locations and at the South Windsor Stop & Shop, 1739 Ellington Road; Geissler’s supermarket in South Windsor, 965 Sullivan Ave.; Stop & Shop in Vernon, 10 Pitkin Road; and the Stop & Shop in the Rockville section of Vernon, 50 Windsorville Road.
Jesse Leavenworth can be reached at jleavenworth@courant.com