TrafFix Devices donates over 3,000 pounds of food to The Lord’s Cupboard

FAIRFIELD – Employees of TrafFix Devices in Fairfield donated more than 3,000 pounds of food to The Lord’s Cupboard food pantry on Monday, March 11.

The impressive donation was so massive that Justin Clements of Outdoor Oasis had to use a forklift to transport all the pallets of canned goods off a trailer. TrafFix Devices Plant Manager Mike Parker said the company’s employees have done an annual canned food drive for The Lord’s Cupboard for a few years, but this year’s donation was especially large because they decided to turn it into a competition.

“We’ve done this [donation] for the last four years, but it declined and declined, and last year we just gave a little box,” Parker said. “To make it bigger this year, we issued a challenge.”

In mid-February, Parker was disappointed that TrafFix’s food drive for The Lord’s Cupboard was going slow, so he made a change. He informed the company’s 150 employees that he and a few other managers were forming a team, and that any department that donated more than his team would get a pizza party.

“But nobody beat us,” Parker said.

Parker’s team included Manufacturing Manager Alex DoBraska, Human Resources Manager Teresa Garmon and Operations Analyst Jennifer Bodine. They competed with the company’s three departments – production, blow mold and roto mold – to see which team could raise the most. Parker said that, as soon as the food drive was turned into a contest, donations came pouring in.

DoBraska said the competition was a brilliant idea because the employees could see how much their department had raised compared to the other departments.

“As they saw the next box fill up, they would fill up their own box more,” DoBraska said.

The Lord’s Cupboard Executive Director Susan Frey gave the company a list of the most needed items such as proteins, fruits and soups.

“We serve clients from age 0-99, so we do have a need for baby food,” Frey said. “We generally don’t get a lot of [baby] donations because I think people are unaware. When you think of The Lord’s Cupboard, you probably think of canned peas or spam, but baby food is very needed.”

Frey said she was thrilled to receive such a large donation from TrafFix Devices, and that it shows the company’s community pride.

“We can’t thank you enough for all your support. It has helped us tremendously,” Frey told the TrafFix Devices employees.

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Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com

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