Police gather needed food | News, Sports, Jobs

HOWLAND — Nearly 4 tons of food donations were collected along with $11,600 in cash donations this weekend at the fourth annual Trumbull County Can the Cruiser event.

Sgt. Erik Golias, assistant commander at the Warren post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol, was at the Giant Eagle in Howland, along with Howland police and firefighters. They were collecting donations from shoppers going in and out of the store Saturday.

The four-hour event took place at five locations: Bazetta, Champion and Howland and two in Niles. Police and fire officials from these communities participated along with the state patrol.

Golias said in addition to Can the Cruiser, where people could donate nonperishable food items, there also was Fill the Pot — where people could provide monetary donations in pots.

“Residents really stepped up in a big way in our communities,” he said.

The collected food and cash will be donated to Niles Community Services, Cortland Area Cares, Bolindale Christian Church Food Pantry, Howland Community Church Food Pantry and the Champion Pride Council.

Golias said the monetary donations will be used to supply the pantries.

“These agencies are already out in their communities making an impact everyday. There is a trust that’s already there between them and the citizens of the county,” Golias said of the agencies.

Items collected included canned goods, boxed foods, baking goods, beverages and hygiene and baby products.

Golias said food pantries have a greater need than he’s seen in his years helping with the event, likely a result of the pandemic and inflation. He said for the first time, a local pantry reached out to the patrol to make sure the event was still on for this year, because it had been struggling so much with donations. Pantries are taking on more families to feed than usual, and donations are dropping.

”Those who can go to the store to buy Thanksgiving dinner this year should remember that there are those who can’t,” he said.