The South Windsor STUFF-A-TRUCK Toy Drive was held this past Saturday, December 12th at Stop & Shop. South Windsor Police teamed up with Ambulance Service of Manchester’s Hannah Scrivener and Michael Hoyt to collect toys and cash. All donations will benefit South Windsor families in need this Holiday season.
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
Wethersfield: On Thursday November 14h, Ofc . DiLoreto (WPD) and Lt. Buonanducci (SWPD), both members of the Capitol Region Emergency Services Team, along with Aetna Ambulance personnel, helped Cub Scout Pack 33 with first aid training. The Scouts learned about common medical emergencies, how to safely help others, and how to call for assistance in preparation for their upcoming hike. The Scouts also toured the armored vehicle and ambulance.
South Windsor- On Friday, August 30th, 2019, Ambulance Service of Manchester EMT’s Danielle Chowaniec and Chris Tevnan spent the morning at Timothy Edwards Middle School assisting with a week 1 School Safety event organized by SWPD. Teamed up with local first responders including the CT State Police Dive Team, South Windsor Fire Department and South Windsor Police Department, ASM interacted with the children and provided them with a hands-on experience as they rotated through over 10 stations.
SOUTH WINDSOR- On Wednesday, July 10th, 2019, Ambulance Service of Manchester Paramedic Josh Conroy and EMTs Stacey Debarge, Justin Craig, and Ashley DeBisschop visited South Windsor Police Department’s Summer Youth Academy. The ASM crew worked alongside SWPD Officers to provide tours of both an ALS and BLS ambulance during a question and answer session with the students. Thank you to SWPD Officer Tina Roy and Corporal. Ben White for coordinating the event.
SOUTH WINDSOR- On Saturday June 1st, 2019 South Windsor Police Department, Masonic Lodge #88, and the Ambulance Service of Manchester teamed up to accept food and monetary donations at Geissler’s Supermarket and Stop & Shop of South Windsor. At the end of the day, over 2460 food items went on the shelves of the South Windsor Food and Fuel Bank along with $1478.43 in the collection box beating last year’s total.
The South Windsor STUFF-A-TRUCK Toy Drive was held this past on Saturday, December 8th 2018 at Stop & Shop and Geissler’s Supermarkets. Ambulance Service of Manchester, South Windsor Police Department, South Windsor Fire Department and South Windsor TRIAD participated with assistance from the Hartford-Evergreen #88 Masonic Lodge of Freemasons. Toys, food and cash were collected to help South Windsor families in need.
MANCHESTER – The 10th Annual “Emergency of Hunger” Food Drive, composed of first responders, Rotary members, and others, was a great success! Their combined efforts continue to make a deep and widening impact on hunger in greater Hartford. This year volunteers from Manchester, Vernon, and South Windsor collected 28,000+ food items, 850+ turkeys, and $15,000 in gift card and monitory donations. Please click here to read Contact Reporter Jesse Leavenworth’s article in the Hartford Courant!
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.
SOUTH WINDSOR- On Saturday June 10th, Ambulance Service of Manchester, South Windsor Police Department, and Masonic Lodge #88 joined forces to collect food and monetary donations at the annual South Windsor Food & Fuel Bank Drive. Donations were accepted at Geissler’s Supermarket and Stop & Shop. At the end of the day, 90 boxes of food (2300 items) went on the shelves along with $1478.83 in cash and gift cards.
Thanks to everyone who volunteered and to those that made contributions!
Despite the snowstorm, 2017 proved to be another great year for South Windsor’s annual Stuff-a-Truck event. 7,000 food items, 326 toys, and over $1800 in cash were collected. South Windsor Rotarians, Police and Fire Department members, along with ASM’s own Andrew Wysocki and Cheryl Everest braved the weather to help our neighbors in need. A huge thanks to all of the generous donors that made this event the success that it was!
MANCHESTER – The 9th Annual “Emergency of Hunger” Food Drive, composed of first responders, Rotary members, and others, was a great success! Their combined efforts continue to make a deep and widening impact on hunger in greater Hartford. This year volunteers from Manchester, Vernon, and South Windsor collected a staggering 31,000+ food items, 675+ turkeys, and $16,000 in gift card and monitory donations. Please click here to read Contact Reporter Jesse Leavenworth’s article in the Hartford Courant!
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.”
The food drive will take place on the following days at the locations provided below:
SOUTH WINDSOR- Earlier this month, crews from the Ambulance Service of Manchester assisted South Windsor Community Center TRIAD with a food drive at both Geissler’s Supermarket and Stop and Shop. Members of the Hartford Evergreen Lodge #88 of Freemasons were also on site participating in the event. Please note ASM EMT’s Charlie Lodge and Elizabeth Miller contributing in the pictures provided.
MANCHESTER – The 8th Annual “Emergency of Hunger” Food Drive, composed of first responders, Rotary members, and others, was a great success! Their combined efforts continue to make a deep and widening impact on hunger in greater Hartford. This year volunteers from Manchester, Vernon, South Windsor, Windsor, and Stop & Shop Supermarkets collected a staggering 34,000+ food items, 650+ turkeys, and almost $16,000 in gift card and monitory donations.
Thanks to the wonderful generosity of the community over the last eight years, we have been able to collect a total of 247,000+ food items, 7,000+ turkeys, and over $159,500 in gift card and monitory donations.