NAPA Helps Keep Hungry Neighbors on the Road

Pictured (left to right) are: Esther Bermudez and family; Vinh Vuong, Foodshare Agency Relations; Carmelo Rivera and her husband, Tom Pantini; NAPA CT Wholesale Manager Scott Kertansis, NAPA CT Outside Sales; Jill Nulsen, Foodshare Events Assistant; Louise Douglas; and John Natale, NAPA C.A.R.S., Cromwell. (Not pictured: David Hansen).

For people struggling to buy food, transportation is both essential and expensive. And too often the choice is between eating and getting to work. That’s why NAPA, the National Auto Parts Association, decided to help through their NAPA Cares program. And yesterday local NAPA representatives came to Foodshare to donate four $500 gift certificates for car care to four recipients who were nominated through NAPA entry boxes at Foodshare. The timing couldn’t be better – with winter approaching, these four individuals will be able to address critical needs before the snow flies.  And the caring was very real: when they heard that one of the recipients had to stop on her way to the event to refill the air in a leaking tire, NAPA representatives John Natale, Tom Pantini, and Scott Kertansis put their heads together and found a solution for her tire situation as well! It takes the whole community working together to meet needs, and NAPA’s generosity brought these recipients joy, happy tears, and more reliable transportation. A big thank you to John Natale for organizing this effort!