Highway Patrol and New Concord PD Team Up for Food Drive

NEW CONCORD, Ohio – Two area law enforcement agencies are joining
forces to bring much needed food supplies to community members in
need this holiday season. The Cambridge Post of the Ohio State
Highway Patrol and the New Concord Police Department are partnering
to hold a local food drive at Riesbeck’s Food Market in New Concord
tomorrow afternoon. Sergeant Jeff Dawson, with the New Concord Police
Department, says all donations go to the College Drive Presbyterian
Church Food Pantry.

“What we did is,
we got with the local food pantry at the College Drive Presbyterian
Church and they give out food to the local families in need around
the area—normally around the John Glenn school district. And so, we
got pre-made bags with food that’s already in them that they
actually are short of in need for the holiday season. So, you have
the 5 dollar bag and we have the 10 dollar bags so the customers can
just come on in, pick up a bag—there’s a bar-code on the
bottom—scan it at the register and bring it out to the cruisers
outside.”

Law enforcement
officers work to serve and protect the public all year long, and
Christmastime is no exception. Lieutenant Melanie Appleman, with the
Ohio State Highway Patrol, says the food drive is yet another way of
giving back.

“We have a great
relationship with New Concord PD. That’s one of the things we
really value and we appreciate; because we come together for the
community. That’s the whole purpose of law enforcement is to
support a community. We have job tasks that we have to carry out but
we also give back to the community whenever we can.”

The local food drive
will take place at Riesbeck’s Food Market in New Concord tomorrow
from 3 to 7 PM. Both food and monetary donations are welcome and can
be dropped off to law enforcement officers in the parking lot of the
store.