Emergency of Hunger Results!

MANCHESTER – The 12th Annual “Emergency of Hunger” Food Drive, composed of 1st Responders, Rotary members, and others, was a great success. All donations went to benefit South Windsor Food & Fuel bank and Manchester Area Conferences of Churches food pantry. This year, we collected food, gift cards and cash at Highland Park Market, Geisler’s and Stop & Shop in both South Windsor and Manchester. With added precautions in place to ensure the safety of the participants as well as the donors, we finished strong and here are the results:

South Windsor Totals: Food Items: 8,984 Turkeys: 160 Cash: $12,000

Manchester Totals: Food Items: 7,723 Turkeys: 366 Cash: $18,691.73

Combined Totals: Food Items: 16,707 Turkeys: 526 Cash: $30,691.73

ASM would like to thank everyone involved for making this year’s food drive a success, despite the added challenges.

Highland Park Market, Stop & Shop South Windsor, Geissler’s, Manchester Police Department, South Windsor Police Department, Harbor Chase, South Windsor Rotary Club, Manchester Police Explorers, South Windsor Fire Department, Manchester Community College and all of hard working staff at Ambulance service of Manchester.

The ASM & Aetna Ambulance Billing Office Shows up for World Pancreatic Cancer Day

The ASM and Aetna Ambulance billing office wearing all their purple to honor and spread awareness on World Pancreatic Cancer Day. Team ASM-Aetna is participating in PanCan’s PurpleStride, a year-round national movement that funds life-changing programs and services for pancreatic cancer patients and their families. If you would like more information please reach out to our Reimbursement Manager, Amy Griskus. Click the link to donate.https://secure.pancan.org/…/PurpleStride/PurpleStride…

ASM Recognises Veterans and Current Service Members

ASM would like to recognize employees that served in the past and continue to serve in our Armed Forces.  Your sacrifice and bravery does not go unnoticed and is truly appreciated. 

Special thanks to Rodney Bailey who came up with the idea, and Haris Kuljancic and Briyanna Decaprio for the design.  

The Emergency of Hunger Food Drive is Underway

EMT’s Hannah Scrivener and Michael Bennett

The 12th Annual “Emergency of Hunger Food Drive” kicked off over the weekend at Manchester’s Highland Park Market and Stop & Shop. Ambulance Service of Manchester teamed up with Manchester Police and the Police Explorers to help collect food items, gift cards, and cash over this past weekend.

Next weekend, collection points are Manchester Stop & Shop as well as South Windsor’s Geissler Supermarket and Stop & Shop. All donations will go to the Manchester Area Conference of Churches Charity and South Windsor Food & Fuel Bank. With the increase in challenges and food insecurities, it’s more important than ever that we come together to help our friends, families, and neighbors alleviate the added pressure. We hope to see all of you this coming weekend!

A special thanks to all of the Manchester Community College NSMH, and PTK volunteers that helped us unload the full food trucks.

With a helping hand and caring heart we are helping end hunger in our community. #MCCNSMH, #NSMHWORLD,  #NSMHLIFE ,  #cougarality, #fighthunger, #PTKMCC

The Emergency of Hunger Food Drive


Manchester and South Windsor first responders to collect donated food

By JESSE LEAVENWORTH

HARTFORD COURANT |

NOV 10, 2020 AT 5:57 PM

Volunteers with the Emergency of Hunger Food Drive unload donations from an ambulance at MACC Charities in Manchester.

Volunteers with the Emergency of Hunger Food Drive unload donations from an ambulance at MACC Charities in Manchester. (Courtesy of Patrick Gleason/ASM)

MANCHESTER — Police, firefighters and ambulance crews will team up with other organizations for the Emergency of Hunger Food Drive benefiting food pantries in Manchester and South Windsor.

This weekend and next, volunteers will collect donated turkeys, nonperishable food items, gift cards and cash donations at supermarkets in both towns.

Organized by the Ambulance Service of Manchester, this is the 12th annual drive. All donations will go to Manchester Area Conference of Churches Charities, which runs a community kitchen and food pantry, and South Windsor Food and Fuel Bank, drive spokesman Patrick Gleason of ASM said Tuesday.

The collection is “very critical this year,” MACC Charities Executive Director Beth Stafford said.

“Need is up and more and more ‘new’ families are looking for help with food, especially holiday meals,” Stafford said.

The South Windsor Fuel and Food Bank is run through the town’s human services department. The annual food drive stocks the pantry’s shelves for the winter months, department Director Andrea Cofrancesco said.

The need for donations in South Windsor also has increased, in part due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Cofrancesco said.

“We’ve seen people that we’ve never seen before. They’re in a different situation now than they were,” she said.

Partners in the effort include Manchester and South Windsor police and fire departments, Highland Park Market, Stop & Shop supermarkets, Geissler’s Supermarket, Manchester Police Explorers, South Windsor Rotary Club and Harbor Chase at Evergreen Walk.

Collection places and times are: Highland Park Market, 317 Highland St., Manchester, Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Stop & Shop in Manchester, 318 West Middle Turnpike, Saturday and Sunday and Nov. 21 and 22 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Stop & Shop in South Windsor, 1739 Ellington Road, Nov. 21 and 22, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Geissler’s Supermarket, South Windsor, 965 Sullivan Ave., Nov. 21 and 22, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Jesse Leavenworth can be reached at jleavenworth@courant.com

Aetna Ambulance Celebrates 75 Years

Aetna Ambulance Service is extremely honored to be celebrating 75 years of service in the city of Hartford. Founded in 1945 by Howard and Herman Grady, Aetna Ambulance arose in response to the Ringling Brothers Circus fire that occurred in Hartford on July 6, 1944, claiming 138 souls.

The Grady Family was deeply moved by the loss of life as a result of this catastrophe, therefore they recognized a need for a full-time ambulance company. It is very likely that given the expanse of this tragedy, the community wanted to prevent it from ever happening again. Aetna Ambulance was started and was run out of the Grady family home and the flower shop on Wethersfield Avenue. It was common for the Grady gentlemen to be called out of family events, holiday dinners, and in the middle of bad weather or snowstorms to assist the local residents. They felt a very deep desire to help others in need, so they also went out into the community to teach first aid classes as well as sitting on the EMS Advisory board.

Now that being said, much has happened in the past 75 years, even the last 15 years. We would not be here today if it wasn’t for our dedicated employees. It is a point of pride for Aetna employees that the company has such a rich history.

Happy Birthday Aetna Ambulance Service

Socially Distant Halloween Event

EAST HARTFORD – On Saturday, October 31st, the town of East Hartford held a socially distant “Trunk or Treat Drive” sponsored by the CT River Valley Chamber of Commerce and Pratt & Whitney. Ambulance Service of Manchester participated in this event handing out treats to each car along with other local companies and organizations. Over 500 cars rolled down the Pratt and Whitney Airstrip, while groups tossed candies into the trucks of passing vehicles. Kids and parents seemed to enjoy this amazing event and collected over 2500 from the ASM group!

ASM Receives Early Halloween Treat

MANCHESTER – On Friday, October 30th, Fred Brown, Director of Marketing & Member Development at Northeast Family Federal Credit Union in Manchester gave the ASM Office Staff and crews and Early Halloween gift of Munson’s Chocolate bars. ASM would like to thank Fred and all of his coworkers for this thoughtful gesture of support.