RACINE — In these times, when gas prices are near record highs and the price of just about everything else is rising fast, it may be difficult to know what to do to help those most in need.
How police, Disaster Response Team are combating food insecurity with giveaways in Racine and Mount Pleasant
For one program whose volunteers deliver food, the solution was to expand the response.
The volunteer-based Journey Disaster Response Team (DRT) has for some time collaborated with the Mount Pleasant Police Department Community Oriented Policing (COP) program to deliver food on the fourth Tuesday of every month.
Journey DRT has now been able to expand the response through a collaboration with the Racine Police Department’s COP House on Anthony Lane, which hosted a drive-up food giveaway on Thursday.
The food giveaway is scheduled to continue on the third Thursday of every month.
Food
Director Jeff Berard said Journey DRT planned to serve 120 families on Thursday.
Each person received a family food box that contained 35 pounds of staple items: canned vegetables, canned meat, rice, pasta with sauce, etc.
There was also frozen meat, eggs, cheese curds and, if it was needed, pet food and treats.
The goal is that people should be able to make up a meal right away.
Officer Travis Brady, the RPD officer stationed at the Anthony Lane COP House, said they went through 80% of their food in the first 45 minutes.
Need
One of the missions of the community oriented policing program is assess the needs of the neighborhood and come up with solutions to problems, where possible.
The Anthony Lane COP House is just blocks away from The Maples apartment building that was recently destroyed by fire, displacing more than 30 people.
RPD’s COP program has been working closely with the victims of that fire, most of whom didn’t have renters insurance, to help get them back on their feet.
In working with the community to respond to the tragedy, Brady said, they began to see just how widespread the need was in the area, even for those who did not suffer an emergency event.
Teaming up with Journey DRT was an opportunity for the COP to meet and help those in the community who are struggling.
Volunteers
To prepare for the food distribution, one road was closed next to the COP house in order to make a drive-thru lane. When people drive up, a volunteer took some biographical information, which is used to better understand the needs of the family.
At the next stop, the volunteers load the trunk.
Journey DRT primarily receives the food from Feeding America. Berard explained the food is delivered to their warehouse in Bristol, where volunteers box it up and prepare it to be delivered. To learn more about Journey DRT or get involved, visit journeydrt.com.