Auburn Township supervisors (from left) Gilbert Oakes, Dan Strohl, full-time employee Eric Burgess, and supervisor Dan Trivett prepare to give away fresh Christmas hams to township residents on December 19.
By Rick Hiduk
(originally published in the Susquehanna County Independent)
The Auburn Township supervisors have a long history of looking after the people in their community. With a playground and park adjacent to the township offices on State Route 3001 pretty much completed, they bounced around some new ideas of how to reach out to residents of all ages and considered giving away turkeys.
“It was too late for Thanksgiving, so we decided that Christmas hams would be a good idea,” Auburn Township supervisor Dan Trivett explained.
The township had some money left over from their allotment of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds distributed by the federal government during the pandemic. That money, township secretary-treasurer Emily Cleveland related, would have to be returned soon if not used.
The remainder of the cost for the purchase of one thousand fresh hams was covered by the township’s general fund. “Impact fee money was not used for the hams, but that allowed us to free up some of our general funding.” Trivett said of the first-time initiative.
The township worked with Marty Canella of Marty’s Market in Meshoppen, who not only gave them a good deal but provided a refrigerated truck so the hams could be kept cold for their distribution on December 19.
Most of the hams were given away over the course of seven hours. Residents only needed to show some proof of residency like a drivers license or utility bill with their address. “Our supervisors knew the majority of them personally,” Cleveland noted. “But it was a good opportunity for some other people to get to know and talk to the supervisors.” There were no income guidelines, she added. “It was for everyone, whether they live on a dirt road or paved road, whether they were young or old.”
“Some people brought snacks and treats to share with us. It was a really nice day,” Trivett stated. “Everybody was very grateful. They were really impressed with it, and I’m glad we could do it.”
“It was a nice thing to do at Christmas time because it brought the community together,” said Cleveland. “A lot of people hung around for awhile and just talked. One woman said, ‘I never thought a ham could make me so happy.’”
Several hundred hams that were left over were given by the township to Seven Loaves Soup Kitchen, New Hope Ministries, and food pantries in Lawton and Montrose.