The Campbell County Sheriff’s Office and the Newport Police Department are joining other organizations to host a free drive-thru grocery distribution Wednesday, April 28th, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Newport High School.
Meat, produce and dairy products provided by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Farmers to Families Food Box Program will be provided to anyone who attends with no identification required. Distribution will take place along Wildcat Drive, which is under I-471 at Newport High School, 900 E. Sixth St.
The Food to Families Food Box program was designed and implemented as a temporary, emergency relief effort to respond to severe market disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the program – which is scheduled to end at the end of May – more than 160 million pounds of fresh produce, milk, dairy and cooked meats have been distributed across the country.
“This is still a time of great uncertainty, so we are doing this to help during this economic downturn and to make sure we are taking care of families at no cost,” said Campbell County Sheriff Mike Jansen.
The program is an example of law enforcement being proactive in helping people in the community deal with their problems, said Newport Police Capt. Paul Kunkel, the department’s Community Services Division Commander.
“Through a program like this, we are still doing police work,” Capt. Kunkel said. “And we are doing that that work by helping people when the need it by stepping in to help the community.”
Other partners in the effort include:
• The Food Soldier Hunger Coalition;
• Newport High School;
• Newport FOP Lodge #2;
• Neighborhood Foundations;
• Northern Kentucky Community Action Commission (CAC);
• Army National Guard.
