This year’s theme for National Public Works Week is Ready and Resilient as “Within every public works professional lies a superhero,” said Hamilton Public Works Director Jim Williams.
“Public works professionals are ready to serve the communities and resilient as ever in their abilities to pick themselves up off the ground after encountering challenges,” he said.
Assistant Public Works Director Dan Arthur said as they kick off the annual fundraiser, they want to fill the city’s biggest truck and collect 3 tons of food, as well as collecting everyday essentials, for Serve City. The last full-scale collection effort was in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic when they collected 2.7 tons of food and essentials.
The city did not hold a collection drive in 2020, and Arthur said the 2021 drive was a small attempt where about 2,200 pounds, or just more than 1 ton, were collected.
“But we’re ready to hammer it this year,” he said. “We’re going to be resilient and we’re going to beat what we had in 2019. I think we can get 3 tons, at least, and set a new record.”
Meijer primed the 2022 collection efforts by donating $800 in gift cards, but people can donate at various locations in Hamilton starting on Monday.
Donations will be accepted on Monday and Tuesday at the Eastside Kroger, 1450 S. Erie Blvd., and on Wednesday and Thursday at the Westside Kroger, 1474 Main St. People can donate Monday through Friday at the Hamilton City Building, 345 High St., and Public Works Garage, 2210 S. Erie Blvd.
Students at Hamilton City Schools, Badin High School, and some of the area Catholic schools are being encouraged to donate this week.
“We were able to get into 13 schools this year,” Arthur said. “We’re in more schools than we had in the past. We got a huge, generous donation from Meijer that’s really going to set things off in the right direction.”
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