Woodstock Police Force and Woodstock Atlantic Superstore partner in successful campaign for Valley Food Bank
The Valley Food Bank van parked next to a pair of Woodstock Police Force cruisers in front of the Atlantic Superstore in Woodstock Friday afternoon, Dec. 14, to collect more than 134 bags of groceries destined for food bank clients over the holidays and into the new year.
Atlantic Superstore manager Joe Hastie thanked the police force for partnering with them to launch the inaugural “Cram a Cruiser” campaign to collect food bank donations.
The campaign enabled its customers to purchase a $10 bag of groceries for delivery to the food bank. Hastie said each bag contained more than $10 worth of grocery items suggested by Valley Food Bank officials.
Each bag contained a list of the items inside, signed by the customer.
WPF Deputy Chief Simon Watts said the store staff contacted the police force, which happily joined the campaign.
“Certainly, at this time of year, there’s a lot of hardship, and with the extra demands on food banks nowadays, we jumped at the chance to partner with them,” he said.
Campbell said they came up with the idea of Cram a Cruiser, which was a great way to support those in need throughout their community.
Valley Food Bank executive director Monica Grant welcomed the support, thanking everyone involved.
Like most food banks, she said the Valley Food Bank faces a tough time as the client list and demands increase while donations decline. She said the donations will provide a boost as the organization heads into Christmas and prepares for the new year.
“This is a fantastic way to start out our New Year base boxes,” she said.
As Community Relations Officer, Sgt. Shaun Kimball leads the WPF Community Engagement Unit. He helped Deputy Chief Watts and Cst. Ryan Paul transfer the bags of groceries from the police cars and inside the store into the Valley Food Bank truck.
Kimball and Watts praised the store staff and their customers for the success of the Cram a Cruiser campaign.
Atlantic Superstore staff Amber Watts and Shannon Delfine joined Hastie and the police officers in loading the truck.
Hastie, who moved to Woodstock four years ago, said he saw this type of campaign in other areas of the country, but he believes it is the first for Woodstock.
He and the police officers credited the generosity of Carleton County shoppers for the campaign’s success.
