CHESTER, S.C. (CN2 NEWS) – A canned food drive is taking a different approach when it comes to raising awareness. This unique drive is partnering with the Chester County Sheriff’s Office and having volunteers “arrested”. Those who got arrested will have to pay bail which consists of canned goods.
CN2’s Ryan Folz bringing us to those bond hearings to find out what crimes these volunteers are being arrested for. The Sheriff even joking, “All right now you know better than to have a vehicle in this kind of condition riding around in Chester County.”
Those in Chester County may have seen many in their community being arrested this past month, but do not worry as it was for a good cause.
Organizer for Canned for a Cause, Kelli Johnson says, “We had 17 people sign up to be arrested, they chose their bail, they chose their crime, we staged most of the arrests and this is going to help feed Chester County residents for Thanksgiving and Christmas.”
Canned for a Cause is a new event where people sign up to raise awareness for the food drive and in turn get arrested. Here’s some of what we heard from volunteers, “Tina, Tina you need to call somebody, I can’t go to jail.” They then go before a judge to pay bail which consists of Canned Goods. “Your Original Bail was set at 150 goods.”
While the idea behind the food drive is fun, those participating say the need for food in Chester County is continuing to grow.
Johnson says, “80% of the people in Chester County that come to get food at the food pantry are elders and so they have to make a choice between eating or buying their medicine”.
State Senator and participant of Canned for a Cause, Mike Fanning, says “We have seen prices go up across the country the last couple of years and that include the price of food and that has become something that is become critical that families don’t have the wherewithal to feed their families and it is a real need, not only here in Chester County but across the state of South Carolina.”
However, thanks to efforts like these those in Chester County can help those in need. With some good laughs along the way. “Now I have to ask have you learned your lesson? I Have learned my lesson, but I can tell you right now and we are going to a mechanic to find out what is the minimum requirement. Evidently for example they said we need two working taillights, I thought they said just working taillight.”
They plan to do this again next year so if you want to be arrested for a good cause all you have to do is sign up by following their Facebook page.
