GLOUCESTER — Chief Edward Conley is pleased to announce that the Gloucester Police Department made a $2,000 donation to The Open Door, a food pantry that serves the Gloucester community.
Gloucester Police Lt. Mike Williams initiated an internal fundraiser to benefit The Open Door, and officers and Police Department staff personally donated a total of $2,000, helping to feed 66 families in the Gloucester community this Thanksgiving.
The Open Door is a local non-profit organization with a mission to alleviate the impact of hunger in Gloucester and nine other local communities using advocacy, innovation, and work in the community to further that goal.
The donation from Gloucester Police will benefit The Open Door’s Holiday Basket program, in which the organization prepares food baskets for more than 2,000 families who need a little help preparing for holiday meals. Each basket prepared contains all the fixings for a holiday meal for a family of four to six.
“Those of us at the Gloucester Police Department believe that the best way to police a community is to be a supportive member in all aspects of community life, and I am proud of the men and women in this department for showing this kind of initiative,” said Chief Conley. “We hope everyone has a happy Thanksgiving and a wonderful holiday season.”
Gloucester Police also contributed to the effort via a Stuff-a-Cruiser event held last week to collect food donations from community members.
“The Gloucester Police Department stepped up in a big way to support The Open Door Holiday Basket program with a generous financial contribution, and the team turned out to Stuff-a-Cruiser at Saturday’s Thanksgiving Food Drive,” President and CEO Julie LaFontaine said. “Many people are still climbing out of the hole left by the pandemic’s impact on the economy, and community partners like the Gloucester Police Department help people put meals on the table for Thanksgiving and the months ahead.”
The Gloucester Police Department presented a check last week to The Open Door President and CEO Julie LaFontaine.
“I truly appreciate the Gloucester Police Department,” said Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken. “They truly see the needs of the citizens of Gloucester.”
To learn more about The Open Door’s Holiday Basket program, click here.