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Falls police fill-a-cruiser food drive collects for needy

Tribune Chronicle / Raymond L. Smith Newton Falls police Det. Andy Harvey accepts food donations from Michele Evans of Portage County Saturday during the department’s 10th annual fill-a-cruiser holiday food drive.

NEWTON FALLS — When Michele Evans jumped out of her small car Saturday morning holding two plastic bags of canned and dry foods, she shared a laugh with Police Det. Andy Harvey while simultaneously wiping tears from her face.

A Portage county resident, Evans said her mother, Beverly Massey of Champion, died recently and she wanted to do even a small thing to honor her memory. So she donated food to the Newton Falls Police Department’s fill-a-cruiser event, which was held at the IGA and Shop n’ Save stores.

“My mother was a giver,” Evans said. “She loved giving to charities. She found pleasure in providing help to others that may need a temporary helping hand. Giving to police officers collecting food for others is something she would have done without a thought. I’m contributing to honor the way my mother lived her life.”

Classic Christmas music blared from the police vehicle while nearby teens held up a sign asking people to slow, wave and either provide a food contribution or cash.

Harvey, a part-time police officer and a 16-year veteran of the police department, said the department has been doing the fill-a-cruiser for about 10 years.

Newton Falls Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 120, Western Reserve, will have its annual Shop with a Cop, in which 10 to 15 local children will be picked up at their homes, taken to Faces Lounge for dinner and meet with Santa Claus.

They then will be taken to the Super Kmart in Niles, where they will be able to shop for their friends and family members.

“The lodge has been sponsoring Shop with a Cop for about a dozen years,” Harvey said.

These two programs and others throughout the year allow residents to get to know their local police officers.

“A lot of times when residents meet with police officers it is not under the best of circumstances,” Harvey said. “Programs like this allow residents to see officers in situations that are not stressful  either for them or the officers.”

“There are good police officers in this community and all over the country that are trying to do good for their communities,” he said.

Newton Falls resident Diane Glover was dropping her grandson off to get a haircut  when she saw the fill-a-cruiser police car in the parking lot of IGA.

Glover stopped by a store to buy a few items for the local law enforcement officers standing in the IGA parking lot.

“I’ve been very fortunate in my life,” Glover said. “Giving to others, especially during this time of year, is something I can do.”

Walking with his daughter, Peyton, Newton Falls resident Robert Estes said he gives to the fill-a-cruiser campaign every year.

The donated food will be given to two area food banks: Assembly of God Church, 29 East Broad St., and the Church Mouse, 26 1/2 W. Broad St.

“We try to collect both non-perishable can and box goods, including cereals,” Harvey said.

Elizabeth Rapczak, who with her son, Nick, dropped off a bag full of food said being in the position of doing something for others not only helps the recipients, but also makes the giver feel good.

“We have a great police force,” she said. “They do a lot for this community, so I’m happy to help them. I also think it is important to teach our children the importance of giving.”

Harvey said the department filled about one-and-a-half  u-haul trucks worth of food and collected about $400 in cash during the six hours they were out Saturday.

“After we finished collecting the food, we immediately used the cash  donations to buy more food to give to the charities,” he said.

rsmith@tribtoday.com

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