GREENSTONE – The local OPP in Greenstone are once again hosting their annual Stuff-a-Cruiser event in the Greenstone, inviting residents to donate non-perishable and canned goods with proceeds going to the Greenstone Harvest Centre.
The OPP will be setup in Geraldton at Jinky’s No Frills and Daneff’s Food Market, and in Longlac at Freshmart on Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. accepting donations.
“We’ve always supported Stuff-a-Cruiser,” said Eric Pietsch, owner of Daneff’s Food Market. “It’s a necessity in our community and the support that we give them hopefully goes a long way to help families in need.”
Despite owning Daneff’s for around two years, Pietsch previously owned and operated a printing company that supplied cards detailing the needs of the local food bank which OPP officers would then handout at the Stuff-a-Cruiser event.
“And then, we always went to Stuff-a-Cruiser and purchased gift cards or a shopping cart full of food for them to take back to the food bank,” Pietsch continued.
The event was organized on behalf of the Greenstone OPP by Cadet Emily Reid, who saw the food insecurity issues in the Greenstone community and sought to raise awareness.
“We are committed to giving back through various programs and events throughout the year, and Stuff-A-Cruiser is one initiative that allows us to contribute to the community,” said regional media and communications officer Lauren Perrier, in a statement provided to Dougall Media.
As Perrier further noted, events like Stuff-a-Cruiser not only draw attention to and help alleviate food insecurity but “also foster a sense of unity and support within the community.
“Through this event in particular, we encourage community members to donate non-perishable food items which will be delivered to the Greenstone Harvest Centre to fill their shelves and support those in need leading into the Thanksgiving weekend,” said Perrier.