MANATEE
At 75, Don O’Leary could be sitting in a lounge chair near his Edgewater Sound home, enjoying a cold beverage and waiting for Thanksgiving.
Instead, the 30-year veteran of the New York City Fire Department and the man known as the unofficial mayor of Lakewood Ranch is busy this holiday season as he was last, collecting food from Lakewood Ranch residents to give to the needy through the Food Bank of Manatee.
“We got to do it,” he said Wednesday after delivering 587 pounds of donations from Country Club and Edgewater residents. “I mean, we should do it, those of us who are blessed.”
The food bank’s roughly 30 volunteers, who sort food and make emergency food baskets for families in crisis from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday at 811 23rd Ave. E., know O’Leary’s silver Chevrolet as the vehicle comes sagging in under the weight of charity.
“He’s our angel from the east,” said Ellen Campbell, chief executive officer of Meals on Wheels Plus, as she greets O’Leary with admiration, as do forklift operator/warehouse supervisor Lou Price and food bank director Cindy Sloan.
The need for haves to help have-nots is greater than ever before in the 24-year history of Meals on Wheels Plus, Campbell said.
Ron and Mary Skweres, of The Preserve at Tara, were separating food items at the food bank when O’Leary pulled in with his latest load. Across the room, Vince Contino, of Summerfield Bluffs, was also lending a helping hand.
“You have to give back to the community,” Ron Skweres said.
“Last year our little food bank gave out 2.3 million pounds of food and we are headed for three million this year,” Campbell said of Meals on Wheels Plus, which operates the food bank.
O’Leary hopes to pick up sacks and boxes from residents in 12 Lakewood Ranch neighborhoods from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday.
He is asking residents of Westchester, Quail Creek, Weston, Whitemarsh, Laurel Valley, Canterbury, Villamoura, Orchid Island, Portmarnock, Ashland, Sandhills and Twin Hills to pack diapers, Good Start baby formula, canned vegetables, canned beans, canned meat, rice, pasta, pet food and any other nonperishable items in plastic bags or boxes, and put them out by the end of their driveways.
“If they want to leave a check, they should leave me a note attached to the plastic bag or box and I will ring their doorbell,” O’Leary said. “Otherwise, I won’t bother them.”
Turkeys are only about 40 cents per pound this holiday season, making them an affordable donation, O’Leary said.
The food bank had only 26 turkeys Wednesday and needs roughly 1,000 by Christmas, Campbell said.
Once again, the man with the empty lounge chair volunteered himself to make a run.
“If any Lakewood Ranch resident wants to donate a fresh turkey for the needy, I will pick it up personally and put it in my freezer,” said O’Leary, who can be reached at 724-1304.
Other efforts at Lakewood Ranch to help feed the hungry include:
n The Harvest Hustle 5K Run is set for 8 a.m. Saturday at Harvest United Methodist Church to raise money for All Faiths Food Bank.
n A county school bus will be parked Saturday and Sunday in front of every Publix location in Manatee for the collection of nonperishable food items.
n The Out-of-Door Academy students will provide Thanksgiving meal baskets for 50 families of Gocio Elementary students in need.
Richard Dymond, Herald reporter, can be reached at 748-0411, ext. 6686.
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