Members of the St. Clair Township Police Department, Detective Chase Askounes and Herman Potts, along with East Liverpool High School Public Safety Services students Addison Buchheit, Hadley Dobbins, Aveonna Paolino and Caydence Wright presented a check for $584 to Tom McKinney, FISH of East Liverpool. (Photo courtesy of SCPD)

ST. CLAIR TOWNSHIP — St. Clair Township police officers are working with businesses and organizations across the community to make Christmas merry for local families in need.

The St. Clair Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) 210 held a food drive at Giant Eagle on Nov. 16 where it raised $584 in cash donations in addition to food items. The donations will go directly to The FISH who, being a non-profit, has more buying power than a private citizen would have to purchase what they need to assist families for Christmas.

The officers invited students from the East Liverpool High School Public Safety Services program (ELHSPSS) to help them with the food drive.

Students Addison Buchheit, Hadley Dobbins, Aveonna Paolina and Caydence Wright, all ELHSPSS students, along with St. Clair Township police officers Detective Chase Askounes and Herman Potts, presented the $584 check to Tom McKinney of The FISH at East Liverpool High School on Friday.

Potts noted that the food drive is one of his favorite things.

“With the need and what it is now with the economy and SNAP and all that, we were happy to at least get the bottom of their truck filled,” he said.

The officers have now kicked off the department’s toy drive and will be at Walmart on Dec. 6 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. collecting donations for new toys for the Elks Lodge #58. The Elks will be handing out the toys on Christmas Day to 150 families who will go through and pick what they need.

The St. Clair Township Police Department has partnered with area businesses and organizations to be drop sites for toy donations. Some of the participating businesses, according to Potts, may be offering a discount for any donations.

“We rely on local businesses that step up and help us,” Potts said.

The toy drive will run through Dec. 19, then officers will collect all the donated toys and deliver them to the Elks Lodge on Dec. 20.

New and unwrapped toys can be dropped at the Glenmoor Fire Department, Bermuda Tan, Chef Ray’s Cafe, Tim Hortons, Calcutta Huntington Employees, Walmart, Santa Clara, Wee the People II, Campbell Signs, Crossroads at Beaver Creek, Chef Ray’s Diamond Bar and Grill, East Liverpool High School Public Safety Services, E.D.I, Glenmoor Superette, Coaches Burger Bar, Brooks Hearth and Home and Italo’s Glenmoor.

“We are very thankful for them. If it wasn’t for them, we couldn’t make it happen for the Elks,” Potts said. “It’s a team effort and we are very happy to have those relationships with all those businesses.”

On Dec. 13, officers and their spouses or other helpers will be participating in the department’s Cops and Kids where they will be taking kids from the community for Christmas Shopping at Walmart.

“We enjoy it, just having that interaction,” Potts said. “It’s one of the coolest days of the year.”

Potts noted that the department will not be doing the Grinch Chronicles this year as the Grinch (retired officer Kelsey Hedrick) has retired.