Leadership Clinton County Holds Community Cheerio Drive

One small idea can make a big difference. That is what members of the Leadership Clinton County Class of 2024 discovered when they organized a Community Cheerio Drive that brought in 591 boxes of Cheerios for The New Love Center.

Melissa Burd, Sarah Getz, Lisa Schropp, Holly Eisaman, Hayley Bauer, Quincey George and Tara Pearce volunteered at The New Love Center during the LCC program’s “Helping Hands in Action” day. After they finished cleaning the Fresh Food Farmacy and restocking the pantry shelves, they brainstormed ideas with Alice Fox Cline, director of operations, and Kristi Ross, volunteer coordinator, on how to help The New Love Center.        

Melissa Burd recalled how the group saw a need in the community and asked for guidance on how to help. 

“We got into a discussion about how sometimes it is easier to ask for one thing instead of asking for everything, and we asked Alice what is the one thing that they seem to always need,” Burd said.

After Fox-Cline informed the group that each family who visits the center receives a box of Cheerios, they decided that it was the perfect time to help families as the school year was ending for the summer. The idea for “Keep a Family Afloat: Community Cheerio Drive” was born.

Cheerio boxes were dropped off at The New Love Center, The Express, RTG Solutions, Haven Place, Oasis Salon & Spa and C21 1st Choice Realty. 

A variety of flavors of Cheerios were donated, such as honey nut, apple cinnamon, frosted, fruity, very berry, multi-grain, veggie blends blueberry banana, strawberry banana and pumpkin spice. There were also special-edition boxes of happy heart shapes with names like Mom, Dad, Sister, Grandparents and Friend, which some people donated in honor of someone special in their life.   

The Community Cheerio Drive made a bigger impact than was originally anticipated with businesses, such as First Quality, and schools, such as Sugar Valley Rural Charter School and Lock Haven Catholic School, joining in by holding their own collections.

Tina Garbrick, a kindergarten teacher at Lock Haven Catholic School, said, “I am always looking for a way for my class to do something to help our community. When I saw the article about the Cheerio Drive, I knew that would be perfect. Cheerios and kids go together! The students pulled our wagon to all the classrooms in the school and told them all about what we were doing. Our goal was to fill the wagon with Cheerios. We ended up with three overflowing wagons full!” 

“I am so proud of how our community banded together for the cause,” Burd said.

Fox-Cline was overwhelmed by the number of boxes of Cheerios that were donated and became emotional thinking about all of the families that The New Love Center will be able to help. 

The New Love Center helped 42,000 people in Clinton and Lycoming Counties last year through its various programs: Pantry Choice, Fresh Food Farmacy, Mobile Unit, Cafe, Backpack Program through Jersey Shore School District, Military Shares through the American Legion and emergency food. 

Fox-Cline explained that in today’s environment with rising food costs, people are struggling to secure basic foods, like meat, milk, eggs and fresh produce, and she is seeing an increase in people using credit cards for food.

Fox-Cline also stressed that The New Love Center’s mission is to not only feed people, but to provide healthy and nutritious choices, and they rely on volunteers and community members to accomplish this. 

“The fact that a group of bright, capable women took this on as a project is wonderful,” Fox-Cline said.