Food Drive Filled Not One,

But Two Buses

By Eliza Hallabeck

Bins were placed in Caraluzzi’s, a bus waited outside both Stop & Shop and Big Y, and volunteers worked on Saturday, July 10, to collect and gather items between 8 am and 2 pm for the first Fill-A-Bus campaign.

Owner operator and Democratic Registrar of Voters LeReine Frampton lent two of her buses to the program for the day, and the Fill-A-Bus event filled, not one, but two school buses.

“I think it went very well,” said Director of Social Services Ann Piccini.

Shelves at the community food pantry at Town Hall South, 3 Main Street, are now stocked, she said, but before the event there was much need for food. Ms Frampton said the event came together when Ms Piccini turned to her at a department head meeting and said the shelves would be empty, unless a Fill-A-Bus campaign was held.

“I think a lot of good came from it,” said Ms Frampton, who said people stopped to learn about the community food pantry from volunteers during the drive.

Along with food, the volunteers collected $198, three gift cards of $20 for Stop & Shop, and baskets of food from Big Y; one was donated by Big Y employees who had gathered together a collection of their own to help the drive, according to Ms Frampton.

Volunteers also helped to unload the food at Social Services when the drive was completed.

“It was very good,” said Ms Frampton, adding later she hopes to make the event happen yearly.