Tag Archives: Jesse Leavenworth

11th Annual Emergency of Hunger Food Drive Results!

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HARTFORD COURANT

by Jesse Leavenworth

Volunteers with the Emergency of Hunger Food Drive unload donations from an ambulance at MACC Charities in Manchester. (Courtesy of Patrick Gleason/ASM)

Organizers of the Emergency of Hunger food drive gathered ample donations of food and cash over the past two weekends at area supermarkets.

Police officers, firefighters, ambulance crews and other volunteers collected 645 turkeys, 21,334 food items and $31,003 in cash, food drive spokesman Patrick Gleason of Ambulance Service of Manchester said.

Collections were made at supermarkets in Manchester, Vernon and South Windsor. All donations are to benefit food pantries in the participating towns.

This was the 11th year of the drive. In 2009, when the effort was focused only on Manchester, a total of $2,405.78 in cash and checks and 155 turkeys were collected, along with an unspecified number of nonperishable food items. The total value of food and monetary donations was $14,265.78, an organizer said.

Participants this year included Manchester, South Windsor and Vernon police officers and firefighters and representatives of Manchester Police Explorers, Ambulance Service of Manchester, South Windsor Rotary Club, Highland Park Market, Stop & Shop supermarkets, Geissler’s supermarket in South Windsor, Manchester Area Conference of Churches Charities, South Windsor Food & Fuel Bank and Hockanum Valley Community Council.

Jesse Leavenworth can be reached at jleavenworth@courant.com

11th Annual Emergency of Hunger Food Drive!

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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.

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

ASM Profiled in Hartford Courant for 60th Anniversary

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Please see below or click here for the full article by Hartford Courant Report Jesse Leavenworth.

Sean Norton, an Ambulance Service of Manchester operations supervisor, talks to visitors during ASM’s 60th anniversary celebration Tuesday. (Jesse Leavenworth/The Hartford Courant)

From a single “hearse-style” wagon and a crew of three in 1959, Ambulance Service of Manchester has grown to 190 employees and 30 ambulances serving the area from East Hartford to Stafford Springs.

On Tuesday, police officers and firefighters who work with the mobile medical crews joined other visitors at ASM’s cavernous headquarters on New State Road to celebrate the company’s 60th anniversary.

Paramedics and emergency medical technicians stood by to describe ambulance and equipment displays. ASM has updated its fleet with new Mercedes vans, replacing box-style ambulances. Four of the new vehicles are longer and sturdier, equipped to lift and transport patients who weigh up to 750 pounds. ASM also recently acquired two “stair chairs,” which allow crews to more easily carry patients up and down stairs. Along with heavier patients, ASM crews also have been dealing with an increase in drug overdoses and mentally ill patients, officials said.

Paramedic Chris Myska demonstrates a medication injection in ASM’s training room. (Jesse Leavenworth/The Hartford Courant)

ASM and Aetna Ambulance Service are sister companies headed by president and CEO Kim Aroh. Asked about the companies’ biggest challenges today, Aroh cited operating costs, such as the recent $300,000 expense to equip all ambulances with digital radios. The companies strive for modest growth each year, she said, but reimbursement rates from Medicare and Medicaid have been flat for a decade.

Besides maintaining equipment and keeping up with changes in life-saving technology, another priority, Aroh said, is to encourage workers’ participation in fun events such as a polar plunge fundraiser _ which benefits the community and the employees. Ambulance crews, she noted, regularly have to handle traumatic scenes.

“They see so many tough things,” Aroh said.

Visitors and ASM employees at the celebration inside the company’s headquarters on New State Road. (Jesse Leavenworth/The Hartford Courant)

ASM started as Manchester Ambulance with three men _ J. Stewart Johnston, Thomas Carpenter and Roger Talbot Sr. _ who were based at a local auto dealership, according to its website _ www.ambulanceservicemanchester.com. The outfit moved to a three-bay garage at 134 Center St. in 1969 and its territory expanded to include East Hartford and Bolton.

Today, company spokesman Patrick Gleason said, ASM and Aetna serve about 1.2 million people.

Jesse Leavenworth can be reached at jleavenworth@courant.com

10th Annual Emergency of Hunger Food Drive!

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HARTFORD COURANT

by Jesse Leavenworth

First responders and food pantry managers gathered at the MACC Community Kitchen Monday to kick off the Emergency of Hunger Food Drive.

Collections of turkeys, non-perishable food items, cash and gift cards are scheduled for the next two weekends at supermarkets in Manchester, Vernon and South Windsor.

The effort relies on the public’s generosity and volunteers from police, fire and emergency medical agencies, along with Rotary Club members and Stop & Shop and Geissler’s supermarkets. Collections benefit clients of soup kitchens and food pantries, including those run by Manchester Area Conference of Churches Charities and the Hockanum Valley Community Council.

Items needed, in particular, include canned vegetables, condiments, sugar, flour, coffee, tea and cocoa. Cash donations and gift cards also are welcome, food drive spokesman Patrick Gleason of Ambulance Service of Manchester said.

Last year, the drive netted 31,276 food items, 675 turkeys and cash and gift card donations totaling about $16,000. Each year, participating agencies challenge each other to collect the most donations. Losers this year have agreed to work at the winner’s food pantry or soup kitchen, Gleason said.

Collections are set for:

_ Friday and Saturday and Nov. 17 and 18 at Manchester Stop & Shop, 286 Broad St., from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day;

_ Stop & Shop in Vernon, 10 Pitkin Road, Nov. 17 and 18, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day;

_ Stop & Shop in the Rockville section of Vernon, 50 Windsorville Road, Nov. 17 and 18, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day;

_ Stop & Shop in South Windsor, 1739 Ellington Road, Nov. 17 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.;

_ And Geissler’s Supermarket, South Windsor, 965 Sullivan Ave., Nov. 17 and 18, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

9th Annual Emergency of Hunger Food Drive!

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Emergency response agency and food pantry representatives gathered Tuesday at the Manchester Area Conference of Churches Food Pantry to kick off the Emergency of Hunger Food Drive

HARTFORD COURANT

by Jesse Leavenworth

First responders again are collecting food to stock regional soup kitchens and pantries.

The first collection for the Emergency of Hunger Food Drive is set for Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Manchester Stop & Shop, 286 Broad St. The effort is to continue the following weekend.

Now in its ninth year, the drive relies on volunteers from police, fire and emergency medical agencies, along with Rotary Club members and Stop & Shop and Geissler’s supermarkets. Collections benefit clients of soup kitchens and food pantries run by Manchester Area Conference of Churches Charities and the Hockanum Valley Community Council.

Last year, people donated about 34,000 food items, 650 turkeys and $16,000 in gift cards and cash.

“Every year we are shocked, amazed and proud of the generosity we see,” food drive spokesman Patrick Gleason of Ambulance Service of Manchester said Monday. “To date, our records show a combined total of 1,149,000 meals served.”

Full article here…

The food drive will take place on the following days at the locations provided below:

  • Manchester – Stop & Shop (286 Broad Street) Saturday November 11th and Sunday November 12th from 10am -6pm
  • Manchester – Stop & Shop (286 Broad Street) Saturday November 17th and Sunday November 18th from 10am -6pm
  • Vernon – Stop & Shop (10 Ptikin Road) Saturday November 17th and Sunday November 18th from 10am -6pm
  • Rockville – Stop & Shop (50 Windsorville Road) Saturday November 17th and Sunday November 18th from 10am -6pm
  • South Windsor – Stop & Shop (1739 Ellington Road) Saturday November 17th and Sunday November 18th from 10am -6pm
  • South Windsor – Geissler’s (965 Sullivan Avenue) Saturday November 17th and Sunday November 18th from 10am -6pm

Another Good Year For Emergency Of Hunger Food Drive

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HARTFORD COURANT

By Jesse Leavenworth

MANCHESTER — Donations to the Emergency of Hunger Food Drive show the region’s generosity has not diminished.

Police, firefighters, emergency medical providers and other volunteers gathered food and other gifts over the past two weekends at supermarkets in Manchester, Rocky Hill, South Windsor, Vernon and Windsor.

Estimated totals were: 26,000 food and personal care items; $23,000 in cash, checks and gift cards; and 870 turkeys and hams, organizer Dave Skoczulek of Ambulance Service of Manchester said Tuesday.

Total donations for the seven years that first responders have run the drive are 210,000 food and personal care items, $143,000 in cash, checks and gift cards and over 6,000 turkeys and hams. Read the whole story here….

First Responders In Six Towns Prepare For Food Drive

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Kyle Caldwell, left, and Dave Tedeschi, emergency medical technicians with Ambulance Service of Manchester, at the 2013 Emergency of Hunger Food Drive.

Kyle Caldwell, left, and Dave Tedeschi, emergency medical technicians with Ambulance Service of Manchester, at the 2013 Emergency of Hunger Food Drive.

HARTFORD COURANT

by Jesse Leavenworth

First responders in Manchester and five other towns are gearing up for the Emergency of Hunger Food Drive, an annual effort that organizers say has proven vital to food pantries in the region.

Read the full article here…

“Many of the area food banks have come to rely on this food drive and the generosity of shoppers to get them through the holiday season,” Skoczulek said.

To date, he said, volunteers have collected about 187,000 food and personal care items, 5,500 turkeys and over $120,000 in cash, checks and gift cards.

“All we ask is for each shopper to purchase one extra item to donate,” Skoczulek said. “Many shoppers go well beyond this and donate multiple items — sometimes even whole shopping carts. But every little bit helps, so we appreciate each item.”

All locations are Stop & Shop supermarkets, except for Geissler’s Supermarket on Sullivan Avenue in South Windsor.

• Manchester: 286 Broad St., Saturday and Sunday and Nov. 21 and 22 — 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Rockville section of Vernon: 50 Windsorville Road, Saturday and Sunday and Nov. 21 and 22 — 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Rocky Hill: 80 Town Line Road, Saturday and Sunday and Nov. 21 — 9 a.m. to 4 p.m..

• Vernon: 10 Pitkin Road, Saturday and Sunday and Nov. 21 and 22 — 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Windsor: 1095 Kennedy Road, Saturday and Sunday — 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• South Windsor: 1739 Ellington Road, Nov. 21 and 22 — 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• South Windsor: Geissler’s Supermarket, 965 Sullivan Ave., Nov. 21 and 22 — 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• Enfield collection dates, times and locations are to be announced.

“Every year we hope for good weather and holiday cheer to help us through,” Skoczulek said, “but no matter what, we always seem to bring in a big haul for those in need.”

Manchester First Responders Finish Shoveling Job After Homeowner Dies

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Hartford Courant

by Jesse Leavenworth

MANCHESTER — First responders who tried to save a man’s life Tuesday when he collapsed while shoveling his roof returned to the home after the man died to finish the job he started.

“In all honesty, it’s not surprising, you know, the compassion of our community and our first responders, but this to me was just amazing,” police Officer Bernie Hallums said Wednesday.

The emergency call from 12 Scott Drive came in at 9:45 a.m. Hallums said he and other police officers climbed a ladder to the roof and rendered life­saving aid, but the man remained unconscious and later died.

Later that morning, Hallums, along with Officers Adam Desso and Tomas Kazcerski, firefighters from the town and Eighth Utilities District and Ambulance Service of Manchester medics returned to the home to finish shoveling the roof. 

Read the whole story here…

Regional Food Drive – Another “Excellent” Year

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hc-manchester-hunger-results-1126-20141125-001HARTFORD COURANT

Delivering donated food to the MACC Charities pantry recently are, left to right, Sean Gregg of Ambulance Service of Manchester, Rotary Club members Ana Ramos and Marty Fins and MACC Executive Director Beth Stafford. (Rick Lawrence).

By Jesse Leavenworth

NOVEMBER 25, 2014, 1:27 PM

Read the full, original article here…

The Emergency of Hunger drive collected nearly 40,000 food items, an outpouring of generosity that an organizer characterized as “excellent” and a good gauge of citizens’ holiday spirit.

The regional collection by police, fire and emergency medical agencies and Rotary Club members benefits food pantries in Manchester, Vernon, South Windsor, Rocky Hill and Windsor.

Conducted over the past two weekends,the drive took in 39,956 food items, $23,839.80 in cash, checks and gift cards and 788 turkeys, organizer Dave Skoczulek of Ambulance Service of Manchester said Tuesday.

“It was an excellent year, once again surpassing our expectations,” Skoczulek said.
Collections in each town go to pantries that serve those towns. The drive provides a big lift to pantry stocks, not just for the holidays, but sometimes extending into February, pantry
representatives said. Organizers said the need has not diminished since the first drive in 2009.

The drive’s six ­year totals, which Skoczulek reported Tuesday, were 186,956 food items, $120,025.80 in cash, checks and gift cards and 5,498 turkeys.

“Emergency Of Hunger” Food Drive Begins Saturday

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Emergency response agency and food pantry representatives gathered Thursday at the Hockanum Valley Community Council in Vernon to kick off the Emergency of Hunger Food Drive. (Jesse Leavenworth/The Hartford Courant)

Emergency response agency and food pantry representatives gathered Thursday at the Hockanum Valley Community Council in Vernon to kick off the Emergency of Hunger Food Drive. (Jesse Leavenworth/The Hartford Courant)

HARTFORD COURANT

by Jesse Leavenworth

VERNON — Emergency response agencies in the region are teaming up again to boost food supplies for poor and struggling residents. Read the full article here…

Police, fire, emergency medical services and Rotary Club representatives gathered Thursday at the Hockanum Valley Community Council to kick off the Emergency of Hunger Food Drive. Collections are set for Saturday and Sunday at supermarkets in Manchester, South Windsor, Vernon and Rocky Hill. Collections in Windsor, Manchester and Rocky Hill also are scheduled for Nov. 22-23.

Now in its sixth year, the drive has collected a total of 147,000 food and personal care items, 4,170 turkeys and about $96,000 in cash, checks and gift cards, organizer Dave Skoczulek of the Ambulance Service of Manchester said. Collections in each town go to pantries that serve those towns, Skoczulek said.

Full article here…

Following are locations and dates for collections (locations are Stop & Shop supermarkets, unless otherwise noted):

  • Manchester, 286 Broad St. — Saturday and Sunday and Nov. 22-23 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Rockville section of Vernon, 50 Windsorville Road — Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Rocky Hill, 80 Town Line Road — Saturday and Sunday and Nov. 22-23 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Vernon, 10 Pitkin Road — Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • South Windsor, 1739 Ellington Road — Nov 22-23, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • South Windsor, (Geissler’s Supermarket) 965 Sullivan Ave. — Nov 22-23, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • Windsor, 1095 Kennedy Road — Nov. 22-23 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Born Rolling Down I-84

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Reunited two months after Kyra Deschene's birth on I-84, (l-r) Jamie and Andy Deschene, ASM paramedic supervisor Beth Sheils, holding Kyra, and ASM emergency medical technician Julie Bissell. (Jesse Leavenworth/The Hartford Courant)

Reunited two months after Kyra Deschene’s birth on I-84, (l-r) Jamie and Andy Deschene, ASM paramedic supervisor Beth Sheils, holding Kyra, and ASM emergency medical technician Julie Bissell. (Jesse Leavenworth/The Hartford Courant)

By Jesse Leavenworth

HARTFORD COURANT

MANCHESTER — Andy and Jamie Deschene had to make a quick decision on the night of Sept. 5.

Pregnant with her second child, but not due to deliver until Nov. 9, Jamie Deschene, 30, was having labor contractions when she called Andy at work and told him to hurry home. A doctor at St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center in Hartford told the couple that if they could make it to the hospital from their Bolton home in 20 minutes, they could drive. If not, the physician advised, call an ambulance.

Jamie’s water had not broken, and the Deschenes decided to drive. Her water broke on I-384 near the Spencer Street exit.

Soon after, the infant’s feet emerged, and the couple were faced with a potentially dangerous breach birth in their car. Andy pulled off on Exit 56 of I-84 and called 911. The off-ramp was soon bustling with state troopers, East Hartford firefighters and medics from Ambulance Service of Manchester.

Pregnant herself, ASM emergency medical technician Julie Bissell had answered four or five maternity calls within the past month. Each patient’s due date was closer than the one before, Bissell said. On the last call before the Deschenes’ emergency, the woman’s water broke on the ambulance stretcher.

Andy Deschene made his 911 call at 7:42 p.m. Within minutes, East Hartford firefighter/paramedic Tamarah Collins and firefighter Judith Geier joined Bissell and ASM paramedic supervisor Beth Sheils at the scene. They secured Jamie Deschene for transport and headed to Hartford. Read the rest of the story here…

Manchester Man Charged With Hit And Run After School Bus Accident

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Four children were on board this school bus when it was hit in the rear by a driver who fled the scene at Main and Center streets, police said. Officers later arrested a suspect. No one was seriously hurt. (Jesse Leavenworth/The Hartford Courant / June 3, 2014)

8:02 p.m. EDT, June 3, 2014

MANCHESTER — After ramming his car into the rear of a school bus Tuesday evening, a local man drove away and then tried to lie about the accident, police said.

No one was seriously hurt.

Allan Perry, 27, of Oak Street, was charged with various motor vehicle violations, including evading responsibility. Perry, who was not hurt, was being held Tuesday night at the police station, Lt. David Ellsworth said.

The accident happened at about 4:55 p.m. at Main and Center streets. The driver of a 2010 Chevrolet Impala hit the rear end of a school bus carrying eight children, ages 10-14, Ellsworth said. The children complained of bumped heads and headaches, but none required hospitalization, he said.

Read the full article here…

Injured Manchester EMT Focus Of Fundraising

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Carolyn Edwards 2

Carolyn Edwards in a photo taken last fall. She is holding Britton, a family friend’s daughter. (Doug Edwards / May 22, 2014)

HARTFORD COURANT

by Jesse Leavenworth

MANCHESTER — Friends, coworkers and teammates are rallying in support of Carolyn Edwards, a beloved emergency medical technician who was badly hurt in a recent motorcycle accident.

“The reason everybody descended on this is that she’s one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet,” Ambulance Service of Manchester spokesman Dave Skoczulek said Thursday. “I’ve never heard her say a negative thing. She’s one of those people who’s always laughing, positive, upbeat. When this happened, it made a mess out of everybody and they came together as fast as they could.”

Read the original Courant article here…

Edwards, 36, of Manchester, was driving her motorcycle on East Center Street on the morning of May 6 when she collided with a car at the Vernon Street intersection, police have said. She was treated for head and arm injuries in the intensive care unit at Hartford Hospital, but was recently transferred to a rehabilitation facility.

Along with ASM, other organizations raising money to support Edwards’ family and help pay her medical bills include sports teams she belongs to, including the Hartford Wild Roses Women’s Rugby Team. The team is selling t-shirts with “#Carolynstrong” printed on the back. To purchase a t-shirt or a #carolynstrong bracelet, visit http://www.carolynstrong.org.

ASM employees also have been raising money through “cold water challenges,” which involve immersion in swimming pools and other chilly bodies of water. The company’s president and CEO, Wayne Wright, recently took part in one such challenge (see the video at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carolynstrong/1447016028872363).

Edwards, who was born in New York City, moved with her family to Manchester as a young girl and graduated from Manchester High School, ASM paramedic Kenya Russell said. Edwards, who is single and has no children, has been working for ASM for about five years. Russell said the two were frequent partners.

“She is consistently kind all the time, no matter what the scenario is,” Russell said. “We have stressful scenarios, but she’s always smiling.”

“She was like that as a little kid,” Edwards’ uncle, Doug Edwards, said.

Little by little, Edwards said, his niece’s condition is improving. Her great physical shape before the accident and the many friends she has made are helping, he said..

“Between her physical stamina and her relationships with people, I think that’s really the thing that makes her recovery go well,” Edwards said.

When Carolyn Edwards regains her health, friends plan to convert the fundraising organization they started after the accident into a standing foundation to benefit all emergency medical service workers in the state who face similar crises, Russell said.

Copyright © 2014, The Hartford Courant

Regional Food Drive In Manchester Considered A Success

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By JESSE LEAVENWORTH

The Hartford Courant

4:57 p.m. EST, November 25, 2013

MANCHESTER — A regional food drive in its fifth year tallied “phenomenal” results, an organizer announced Monday.

The Emergency of Hunger drive, run by emergency response agencies and Rotary Club members, gathered 38,309 food items, $24,143 in cash, checks and gift cards and 596 turkeys, event organizer Dave Skoczulek said.

Donations were gathered at supermarkets in Manchester, South Windsor, Vernon, Windsor and Enfield, the latest community to join the effort. The donations go to food pantries and shelters in each town.

“Because we keep adding towns and changing hours and tinkering with the format, it’s hard to say if it was the biggest year,” Skoczulek said. “But I would say it was the best year. We had the most fun, brought in a huge amount, had the best interactions with the public and saw the biggest desire to give.”

Over the past five years, the drive has tallied 147,000 food items, $96,186 in donations and 4,170 turkeys.

Read the Courant article by clicking here…

Emergency Of Hunger Food Drive Starts In Four Towns

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By JESSE LEAVENWORTH

The Hartford Courant

3:37 p.m. EST, November 15, 2013

Read the Courant version here…

Food Drive 2013

MANCHESTER — Emergency responders and Rotary Club members launched a regional drive Friday to collect food and other donations for needy people.

This is the fifth year of the Emergency of Hunger Food Drive. Representatives of police, fire and ambulance agencies, Rotary Club members and pantry managers from Manchester, South Windsor and Vernon gathered Friday at Manchester Area Conference of Churches Charities to kick off the drive.

Volunteers in those towns, Enfield and Windsor collect food and monetary donations at area supermarkets. In the past five years, the drive has gathered about 108,000 food and personal care items, 4,100 turkeys and more than $75,000 in cash, checks and gift cards, organizers said.

All collections are to be held at Stop & Shop supermarkets, except one at Geissler’s Supermarket in South Windsor. Dates and times for the collections are:

Manchester — Saturday and Sunday and Nov. 23 and 24 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; 286 Broad St.

Enfield — Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; 54 Hazard Ave.

Rockville — Nov. 23 and 24 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; 50 Windsorville Road

Vernon — Nov. 23 and 24 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; 10 Pitkin Road

South Windsor — Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.at the Stop & Shop at 1739 Ellington Road and on the same days and times at Geissler’s Supermarket, 965 Sullivan Ave.

Windsor held its collection earlier this month, organizers said.

All food and donations go to food banks in the towns where they are donated, organizers said.

“In other words, everything stays local so that neighbors are helping neighbors,” organizer David Skoczulek of Ambulance Service of Manchester wrote in a news release.