Community and corporate citizens dug deep to help make a Toronto Police Cram A Cruiser food and toy drive a sizzling success.

More than 600 gift cards, 390 cash donations and in excess of $2,400 worth of food were collected by officers of 22 Division in a Cram A Cruiser campaign, which on November 8 were donated to  St. Margaret’s Anglican Church, on Sixth Street.

“We are very pleased with the response from the community,” says Const. Jas Mrahar, of the Community Response Unit. “Members of the community were there in numbers to help.”

The goods were collected on November 7 with the Cram A Cruiser vehicle parked in a Loblaws grocery parking lot, at 300 The East Mall.

Mrahar said Loblaws contributed hundreds of gift cards that are redeemable at it stores and almost 400 cash donations were received from shoppers.

Customers at the store handed over hundreds of bags filled with goodies that will go to help the needy and those at-risk in the community.

It took three officers about 15-minutes to unload the items from the police vehicle to the church.

Rev. Jacqueline Daley said some of the food items will be used for St. Margaret’s Sunday Soup program, in which residents can visit the church and obtain a free, hot take-out soup.

“We appreciate the help and donations from Toronto Police,” Daley said. “The shelves of our food bank will be filled again.”

Police say members of the public can still make donations of toys and food to the stationhouse, at 3699 Bloor St. W., when open.

Officers will continue their campaign at the same Loblaws on December 5 and on December 13 they will be collecting food and toys in the Markland Woods area.

The annual police Cram A Cruiser event has been taking place for more than 20 years by Toronto Police and other forces to help our needy at this time of the year.

St. Margaret’s Anglican Church has been serving the Mimico, New Toronto area for more than 110-years.