The school bus was stuffed and ready to go, only its passengers weren’t students — they were boxes of Cheerios and cans of Campbell’s soups.
During its second annual food drive on Saturday, November 5, the Rotary Club of southwest Queens parked outside of Waldbaum’s on Cross Bay Boulevard in Howard Beach for a full day of collecting nonperishable foods for a local food pantry.
The “Stuff the Bus” event took place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., when Rotary Club members were on hand to encourage shoppers to drop off bags of food or donate cash and gift certificates as they left the supermarket. All proceeds were donated to Our Lady of Grace Ministry of Care Services food pantry in Howard Beach.
Rotary Club President Frances Scarantino said the local food pantry greatly needed to be replenished.
“They’re very, very low on food to give to those who need it, especially during the holiday season,” she said. “When we go to the food pantry, we see that the shelves are empty. Our heart breaks for those people who can’t afford a basic need like food. We feel great about being able to put food on the table for them.”
Scarantino said the bus was stuffed for the second year in a row. Aside from the food collected, the Rotary Club raised $185 in cash and gift certificates.
