The Cary Area EMS is helping with a different sort of emergency this week. It’s hosting a food drive to help Dorcas Ministries feed the hungry in our community.

“A lot of people are relying upon food banks to be able to feed their families until the world kind of gets back to normal,” said Michael Arnold Jr., Lieutenant of Community Outreach for Cary Area EMS.

Added to that increase in demand, he says, many people are out of work and can’t donate as they usually do. As essential personnel, the EMS team understood that they were fortunate to still have paychecks and to be in a position to help.

“Our commitment to the community, really, it doesn’t stop at 911 with emergencies and helping people when they’re sick and injured,” Arnold said. “We’re here to help everybody in any way, shape or form that we can. So, being able to extend a helping hand to those in our local community in any way that we can is kind of our mission as Cary EMS.”

A large truck vehicle will be parked in front of the station from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday, May 18, to Thursday, May 28, at 107 Medcon Court in Cary. The tail gate will be down for easy, contact-free drop off.

The most needed items at the Dorcas food pantry are canned meats, baking mixes, canned meals like Chef Boyardee, paper towels, toothpaste and toothbrushes, grocery store gift cards, laundry detergent and other cleaning supplies.

Depending on the success of this food drive and the needs of the community, Arnold says Cary EMS would like to host more food drives that benefit other food pantries.

“We’re hoping that this one is successful, the next one will be successful and we can keep going on and donating food,” he said. “Hopefully this is something that we can keep doing until people are able to get back on their feet.”