Marines keep working on food drive
January 13, 2009 - 5:17 PM
By Drew C. Wilson
Havelock News

Air traffic control personnel at Cherry Point are having a competition to gather canned goods for needy families through the end of the month.

Sgt. Justin Fisher said about 60 Marines in the air station's tower and radar facilities are competing among three groups for the Sgt. Abraham O'Keefe Food Drive.

O'Keefe, a former tower chief who recently was deployed to Okinawa, Japan, had the original idea to extend food drives beyond the holidays and through the month of January.

"It was something he wanted to do, but he couldn't do it before he left, so we kind of did it for his going away thing," Fisher said.

Fisher joined Cpl. Matthew Ball in delivering 575 cans to the food pantry at the Havelock-Cherry Point Ministerial Outreach on Monday morning.

"Everyone can always use food," Ball said. "There are always hardships. This is something we could do to help the community.

"This is not the first load, and it won't be the last."

With the help of Stephanie Duncan, executive director of the Havelock Chamber of Commerce, five dropoff sites have been established to in the city for residents wishing to donate food for the drive. They are located at Whiteman's Engraving, TAGG, Baldree's Tire, Craven Community College's Havelock campus and the chamber office at the Havelock Tourist and Events Center.

"The food that is coming in is very helpful to us," said Lyn McCain, director of Havelock-Cherry Point Ministerial Outreach. "We can feed more families with it. Our food bank at one time was low, and we thank them for all of the donations they have brought in."

The ministerial outreach offers free food to needy families in Havelock, Cherry Point and Harlowe from its location at Suite 20, in East Plaza in Havelock. It is open from 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 2 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays.


Ellie