By Marisa Dawson

This Saturday, December 20, from 12-4pm, the Bennington Fire Department and IAFF Local 3150 are hosting a festive Santa Food Drive at the fire station. Bring nonperishable food items to donate to the Bennington Community Food Pantry, and enjoy cookies, hot cocoa, and photos with Santa himself. Firefighter/Paramedic Eric Shockley shared that the inspiration came from “wanting to do more to support the community in other ways other than just responding to emergencies.” He further explained, “The Bennington Community Food Pantry is local and we wanted to make sure they were plenty stocked for the holiday season.” The department hopes this becomes a beloved annual tradition in Bennington.

Shockley emphasized the deeper message behind the event: “We’d like to spread the message to our community that we are here to help in any way that we can. Our goal is to be out in the community so if someone does need us for an emergency we can be a friendly familiar face.” Beyond stocking the pantry shelves, the food drive fosters connections, as Shockley noted, “This event brings the community together and will show when we all work together what we can accomplish. It also gives us a chance to speak more one on one to folks that may have questions…for example about what we do, our day to day duties, station tours etc.”

Hosting holiday events like this is especially meaningful for the fire department and union, with Shockley adding, “Where else but the fire station would you rather be to see Santa!? We made the call and he answered, made the trip from the North Pole to be here during his busiest time. He knows what we’re doing is a good thing and it’s also for the kids to hopefully make those Christmas wishes come true.” Come out, donate, and spread some holiday cheer—see you there!