On Saturday, October 12, the North Royalton City School Bus Drivers held a “Stuff the Bus” event at the Giant Eagle Supermarket on Royalton Road.
A big yellow school bus was parked outside the grocery store to accept food donations from shoppers – from canned goods to pasta dinners and everything in between. Gift cards were also donated and accepted.
The goal of the event, according to Jerry Beckrest, a North Royalton School Bus Driver and a volunteer at the North Royalton Food Pantry, “is to restock and replenish the shelves of the Food Pantry. We’re about to enter a busy time of year for the Food Pantry. We want to be able to satisfy everyone’s needs.” The event was held by the Bus Drivers in cooperation with the Food Pantry and Royal Redeemer Lutheran Church.
Beckrest said, “While donations are up, the need is still great. During the summer months, a number of families donated their vegetables to the food pantry. That was great. We’ll also accept monetary donations.”
A number of students from North Royalton High School were on hand to pass out coupons to shoppers and to collect bags full of groceries.
North Royalton freshman Anjalt Patel said, “It’s cool that people make the effort to donate to the food pantry. One gentleman took one bag from his grocery cart and donated the rest of it to the food pantry. That was cool.”
Patel said, “I’ve traveled to many different countries and have seen that hunger is everywhere.”
The Food Pantry asks that all items to be donated be regular sized, in cans, plastic, bagged or boxed. Cash donations are accepted. Checks can be made payable to Royal Redeemer Food Pantry, mailed to Royal Redeemer, Attn: Mary Ann Tansler, 11680 Royalton Road, North Royalton, Ohio 44133.
By JOE JASTRZEMSKI
Contributing Writer