MIAMI TOWNSHIP, Ohio — A weekend food drive at the Kroger store on state Route 28 brought in dozens of jars of peanut butter and other non-perishable items for local food pantries, Miami Township police said, restocking a food pantry the department keeps in the lobby of its headquarters.
The donations arrive months after the department said in a July Facebook post that the pantry had run low and asked residents to help restock it. In a post over the weekend, the department thanked the community for showing up to support the effort.
Volunteers with the Miami Township Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association helped collect the donations at the store, known locally as Kroger Mulberry, according to the department. The haul included dozens and dozens of jars of peanut butter along with other canned and packaged goods, the department said.
The pantry, located in the lobby of the police department at 5900 McPicken Drive, is available around the clock to any community member and runs on the honor system, with no requirements to receive food. “Take what you need, leave what you can,” the department has said of the pantry. Officials said it is now well-stocked, and the remainder of the weekend’s donations is being distributed to other local food pantries.
The Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association is a volunteer nonprofit made up of graduates of the department’s Citizens Police Academy who wanted to stay involved with the department after completing the program. The group also takes part in community events such as National Night Out, Shop With a Cop and the township’s holiday parade.
The department said it is still accepting donations in the lobby of the police station for residents who missed the weekend drive and want to contribute.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the Miami Township Police Department.