Sparta stuffs the bus to combat hunger

By Rose Sgarlato
SPARTA- Sparta’s first ever Stuff the Bus event was a success last weekend at the. Sponsored by Mohawk House, the Franklin Sussex Auto Mall and a collaboration between the Sparta, Andover and Byram Police, iHeartRadio (WSUS) and Social Services, the two-day event captured the pre-Thanksgiving spirit of putting food on the table for everyone. The event was staged at the former space of Carl’s Auto Body in the Lake Mohawk section.
According to Steve Scro, owner of Mohawk House, the effort netted 34,520 pounds of food, over $9,000 in cash and more than 250 turkeys for the Sussex County Food Pantry.
It was the 9th annual Stuff the Bus Campaign for the food pantry and, according to organizers, the effort gets bigger and better every year. Sparta was new this year to the list of places to drop off food and the addition was well received.
Susan Bowman, a social services employee was donating her time on her day off at the former auto body shop at 5 West Shore Trail in Lake Mohawk.
“ I feel the community is much more receptive and involved,” Bowman said. “Overall, this year we have a bigger turnout in all locations.”
Adding to the mix of charity and volunteer activity, were local police forces. Officers and other volunteers from the Byram Township and Andover Township police departments collected food outside the Shop Rite in Byram, while Sparta Township Police did the same in town at Stop & Shop. After the police cruisers were packed, the items were brought over to the former garage site, now owned by Scro of Mohawk House.
"We were thrilled to not only team up with the Mohawk house and WSUS for this great cause but more thrilled about the results," said Bill Snouffer, general manager of the Franklin Sussex Auto Mall. "There was a huge effort put forth by the Sparta, Andover, and Byram police departments which really made a difference. What a wonderful example of holiday giving put forth by all those that volunteered and especially those that donated. Franklin Sussex Auto Mall is proud to be part of it and wants to thank everyone for their efforts in hopefully helping some needy families this holiday season."
Scro was delighted with the community support and donations that made the first annual Stuff the Bus event in Sparta a success.
"One community can move mountains," Scro said. "We've done many benefits to support locals throughout the years. This Stuff the Bus/Fill the Garage initiative was very special to me. My friend Eric Nielsen reminded me of just how fortunate we all are last holiday season. We both knew we needed to help feed people that may not be as fortunate. I feel blessed to be able to be a part of making a difference."
Nielsen, a Sparta resident, is owner of Franklin Sussex Auto Mall.
The Sussex County Food Pantry is in need of donations all year round. For more information on how to donate or volunteer visit: www.sussex.nj.us/socialservices.