HLF Young Ambassador Michael Gugliotta collected enough food to fill the Fair LawnPolice Department’s Ford F-150 three times over collecting much needed items to benefit three pantries in town. The Fair Lawn Police Department, The Fair Lawn FoodPantry, Van Riper Ellis Baptist Church Pantry, and The Church of Saint Anne were all on hand to make this first annual “ Pack The Police Car” drive a success.
On Saturday, August 1st Young Ambassador Michael Gugliotta of Fair Lawn, NewJersey held an event affectionately called “Pack the Police Car” to provide much-needed food and supplies to three town pantries for his independent service project. After the Covid-19 pandemic struck, keeping the pantries stocked and ready to serve the community became difficult. Michael decided it was a great opportunity to step in and help.
“Being part of the HLFYA program is an honor and helped me to become more active in my role of giving back to my community. When I attended middle school in Fair Lawn, there were many days when my friends wouldn’t have enough money for lunch or would be without food. I knew I could eat when I went home so I would oftentimes just give my lunch to them. That grew into bringing extra food to school to help a friend, which grew into holding small food drives to benefit the pantry in town as well as my church. I wanted to do something bigger and that is when I met Officer Luis Vasquez. OfficerVasquez and I had an instant connection as he is an instrumental part of our community, not only keeping our residents safe but also going above and beyond to make sure every family in this community has what they need. I had participated in a fundraiser to feed first responders through an organization called Skate It Forward and the donations we collected provided meals to the police department in Fair Lawn during the height of the pandemic while many of them were working long, tiring, and dangerous hours to care for the sick. Officer Vasquez was able to assist me in getting these meals to our first responders and that is when we talked about my idea for a town-wide drive to help.”
Officer Vasquez has been working as a police officer for 21 years and enjoys helping the community in any way he can. He was recently named “Hometown Hero” for his efforts in the community which is an annual recognition, this year was given by Rep. JoshGottheimer. Officer Vasquez is an intricate part in the well being of the Fair Lawn community.
“When I met Michael, it was at the height of the pandemic, he raised money to feed emergency responders. He told me he wanted to do more and we discussed a food drive initiative. Once I heard his story and how much he wanted to help, I knew it was a perfect fit. Michael is a bright young man who truly cares about helping others and is an asset and example of leadership and service for others in our community.”
Michael began his drive with a flyer and enlisted the help of family and friends and also his ice hockey coach at Paramus Catholic High School, Keith Bland, to get the word out on social media. He reached out to Allen Magie, a long time friend, and fellow hockey player at Paramus Catholic High School and also Nicholas Chromey, a football player at PCHS. Both boys spent the day with Michael collecting and filling the police car with food and personal care items.
“Michael is an outstanding freshman on the Paramus Catholic hockey team. As his coach, I can see he has a strong dedication to help people in need. He donates and sacrifices his personal time to help others. His proactive efforts help his community in many ways. His dedication to these causes shows his character and desire to help people.”
Michael has vowed to make “Pack The Police Car” an annual event and make each year bigger and better than the last. During the event Michael met many families from the town who were a big part of the event’s success, further spreading the idea that people can do small things that have a great impact.
“Hockey is a big part of my life and it has allowed me to meet many people over the years and form relationships that grow into giving back to people. I’ve inspired by everyday people doing small things that make a big impact on others. As soon as the flyer hit social media the calls were coming in with people wanting to donate or drop off food and items to my house. My mom was a huge help in driving me around to meet with people and educate them on the hunger crisis that many communities face today and also pick up donations. It was definitely a family effort. I’m so happy to know that people will have full fridges and hearts because of what I’ve helped to accomplish. It’s a great feeling to know that you’ve made a positive impact on someone and made their situation a little better.”
Written by 2020 HLFYA Michael Gugliotta
Person Who Inspires Me: My parents, my grandfather, and Henrik Lundqvist
School: Paramus Catholic High School
