Wareham residents donated to toy and food drives hosted by various community organizations all across town on Saturday, Dec. 5, despite the blustering winds and unrelenting rain.

Wareham Public Schools bus drivers hosted their annual Stuff-A-Bus toy and food drive to benefit Turning Point’s Holiday Outreach program from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The drivers parked a decorated bus in the lot next to Wareham Fire Department on Main Street and waited for people to approach the bus and make donations.

People passed their donations of new, unwrapped toys, books, clothing, gift cards, non-perishable food items and more to the drivers on the bus, who then sanitized each item and sorted them into a garbage bag with other donations, drivers said.

Marie Ferreira said this was the fourth year the bus drivers have held a Stuff-A-Bus event. The drivers said the Stuff-A-Bus event was a success and that plenty of people had stopped by to drop off their donations throughout the day.

While the Stuff-A-Bus event was held next to the Fire Department, members of the Wareham Fire Department were over at Shaw’s on Marion Road hosting a food drive. 

The food drive ran from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and was also to benefit Turning Point. Lt. Chris Smith said it was the second year the Fire Department had hosted a food drive. Many people had donated non-perishable goods and some donated money, he said. 

“Everybody’s been very supportive,” Smith said.

Smith said they’d seen slightly fewer donations than in 2019, but attributed that to poor weather conditions and the coronavirus causing more people to stay home. On top of the food donations, Smith estimated the Department had collected at least a “couple thousand dollars” in donations that they would use to buy food to donate to Turning Point. 

“The police officers do the toys, so we’re doing food,” Smith said, referring to a toy drive happening at the same time, hosted by the Wareham Police Department.

The Wareham Police Department’s annual Stuff-A-Cruiser toy drive, which took place in the Target and Walmart parking lots, was also a success Saturday, officers said.

At the Walmart location, officers said they’d already had to empty out the cruiser four or five times by 1:30 p.m. to make room for additional toys. 

The officers accepted donations of new, unwrapped toys and gift cards for Wareham children. Officer Karl Baptiste, President of the Wareham Police Association, said the Police Department had been holding toy drives for more than 20 years.

Officer Lorenzo Grosso thanked Community Youth Empowerment for their help with the event and thanked the Harbormaster’s office as well, for coming by to empty the cruisers at Target and Walmart when they filled up. He also thanked the community. 

“We just appreciate everyone coming out and supporting all the kids,” Grosso said. “Everyone’s having a difficult year, and it’s a way to bring some light to a dark year. It helps.”