LEETONIA Police, kids collecting for needy

Last year, police and students gave 25 food baskets through cash donations.
By NANCY TULLIS
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
LEETONIA -- Area high school students and police are joining forces once again to provide food, toys and clothes to needy families this Christmas.
Police Chief John Soldano said that this is the fifth consecutive year for the Caring and Sharing program and that donations have increased each year.
Last year, along with the new toys and clothing, police and Leetonia High School students put together 25 large baskets of food.
Police and Leetonia High School student council members are collecting new toys, new clothing and nonperishible food items through Dec. 17 in collection boxes at the high school, Leetonia Police Department and several other locations in Salem Township, Leetonia and Washingtonville.
Student council members will gather at Leetonia Village Hall on Dec. 18 to wrap the gifts. Leetonia, Washingtonville and Salem Township police will use cash donated to buy food and assemble food baskets.
Soldano, Washingtonville Chief J.R. Blakeman and Salem Township Constable Dan Valentine will deliver the food baskets, clothing and toys to needy families a few days before Christmas.
Growing each year
"Each year, more and more people are participating, and the program is a greater success than the year before," Soldano said.
"We'd like to do that again. The nice thing is that the donations stay right here, meeting needs of families in Leetonia, Washingtonville and Salem Township."
Besides the high school and Leetonia Police Department, collection boxes are at Wilms Flower Shop and Mason's Steak House in Salem Township, at Washingtonville Pharmacy, Sky Bank and Newton's gas station in Washingtonville.
In Leetonia, boxes are at the Dairy Queen and the IGA, Farmers National Bank and the public library.
tullis@vindy.com