'Stuff the Caboose' food drive at Steamtown in Scranton kicks off Thanksgiving holiday

Jim Lockwood, The Times-Tribune, Scranton, Pa.
·2 min read

Nov. 19—SCRANTON — A caboose usually signifies the end of the line but on Saturday symbolically got out in front of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.

Steamtown National Historic Site hosted its annual Stuff the Caboose event that combines seasonal cheer with the worthy cause of helping restock the United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern Pennsylvania's food pantry with donations of nonperishable food items.

"Lots of folks who are coming for the festivities are donating some food pantry items and supporting this cause while they have a night out," UNC President/CEO Lisa Durkin said.

UNC participates as part of WNEP-TV's "Feed A Friend" campaign that has UNC as the designated beneficiary of food donations collected in Lackawanna County, UNC Development Director Laurie LaMaster said.

But UNC's food giveaways also extend past Thanksgiving.

"As part of 'Feed A Friend,' we're doing Thanksgiving meals for the community but also stocking our pantry for the holiday season," Durkin said.

Boy Scout Troop 8 in Carbondale collected several boxes of food among its members over the past three weeks to help stuff the caboose, said Joe Marder, assistant patrol leader.

His son, Jonathan Marder, 17, who hopes to become an Eagle Scout, donned a Gingerbread Man costume at Stuff the Caboose.

The free event also had visitors toasting s'mores over a horizontal "Ring of Fire," locomotives and buildings decorated with holiday lights, the former Nay Aug Park Miniature Train available for photos, and Scranton's police and fire departments displaying equipment.

Stuff the Caboose was first held at Steamtown in 2019, canceled in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic and resumed in 2021, Steamtown Superintendent Cherie Shepherd said.

The event not only gives the historic site an opportunity to get all-aboard with UNC's food drive before Thanksgiving, but also to gear up for Steamtown's busy holiday season.

"It's great. It's a nice kickoff to the holiday season, especially for us," Shepherd said.

Contact the writer:

jlockwood@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5185;

@jlockwoodTT on Twitter.