Pack the Cruiser helps feed Hamilton County children
Current Publishing
Members of the Carmel Police Dept.’s Explorers Program Luke Richardson, Thomas Giliam, Delaney Holliday and Austin Bunn help load donations from the Pack the Cruiser Event. (Photo by Heather Collins)
Siblings Andrew and Caroline Kirby help Pack the Cruiser with Carmel Police Dept. Lt. J.J. Semester. Food-drive items included fruit cups, Ritz crackers, Cheerios, peanut butter and chicken noodle soup. (Photo by Heather Collins)
Carmel Police Dept. officer Greg Dewald, Lt. J.J. Semester, Ann Gallagher, Sgt. Nancy Zellers and Carmel Citizen’s Academy volunteer Marcie Knafel collect donations in front of the Kroger at Range Line Road. (Photo by Heather Collins)
Members of the Carmel Police Dept.’s Explorers Program Luke Richardson, Thomas Giliam, Delaney Holliday and Austin Bunn help load donations from the Pack the Cruiser Event. (Photo by Heather Collins)
Carmel residents Matt and Lee Sample donate two carts of food to the Carmel Summer Lunch Program at the Pack the Cruiser event. The couple heard about the event through the NextDoor App and said they want to help support the cause and feed local kids during the summer. According to the Carmel Youth Assistance Program, 1 out of 7 children in Hamilton County suffer from food insecurity. (Photo by Heather Collins)
By Heather Collins
The Carmel Youth Assistance Program gathered more than 4,420 pounds of food and $2,974 in donations during the Pack the Cruiser event June 2. The summer lunch food drive supported the Carmel Summer Lunch Program, which assists children in Carmel Clay Schools who are dealing with food insecurity. Members of the Carmel Police Dept. parked in front of the Carmel Kroger stores at Michigan Road and Range Line Road to fill their vehicles with healthy food donations from the community.
Last summer, the Carmel Summer Lunch Program provided 14,300 meals to households in need during the 11-weeks of summer.
“We feel that through this community collaboration, we have filled a big need and filled our children’s bellies, too,” said Maggie Figge, early intervention advocate.
