There are many aspects of being on the job. Some days, showing up means chasing down bad guys or racing to the scene of a car accident. But for every difficult moment as a police officer, there are opportunities that make every hard day worth it.
On April 1, Sam Cemal reached out to Old Bridge Local 127 President Vinny Galgano about partnering with Local 127 to give back to the community during this challenging time. Cemal, who owns Mike’s Pizzeria, worked with Galgano and Local 127 to donate 100 cards for free small-sized pizzas and 100 $10 gift cards.
Although members of Local 127 could not personally deliver pizzas to the community, they decided to donate the gift cards directly to an Old Bridge Food Bank whose staff were able to feed more than 100 families. A portion of the cards also went directly to Old Bridge Township Emergency Medical Services.
But Mike’s Pizzeria isn’t the only restaurant that’s been reaching out to Galgano and Local 127 to help out. According to Galgano, he’s had an outpouring of support from other local restaurants seeking to donate food during the pandemic.
“We’re working with restaurants and our foodbanks to coordinate people who really need food and getting food delivered to them when they call.”
Galgano is positive these local restaurants will continue to show their support for the Old Bridge community for as long as they continue the fight against COVID-19.
“Our police work isn’t just about going out and fighting crime and pulling cars over,” he said. “It’s about humanitarian efforts because we are humanitarians and we need to make sure our community is taken care of.”