She decided she could always buy her own groceries, so she chose to help others.
MASSILLON Jennifer Zartman grabbed boxes of canned goods in her race to get as much as she could pile into her cart during a Wednesday morning shopping spree at Buehler's.
The Perry Township woman, who won a raffled shopping spree, chose to donate all of her winnings to her local food pantry, Perry Helping Perry, and she was determined to get as many staples as she could gather in 90 seconds at the grocery store's Massillon location. The raffle was held by World Elite Idols, a special needs cheerleading group.
In her minute-and-a-half run through the store, Zartman was able to fill her shopping cart with $242.50 worth of groceries. Anthony Perry, 10, helped bag them at the end of check-out line No. 1.
Zartman, self-described as "just a citizen" who has not even volunteered at the pantry, said that when she learned she'd won the raffle, she went to the pantry to see what was needed.
"I decided that I can afford my own groceries. And I'm blessed to be able to do so," she said. "I always have my cupboards full. So I wanted to give back to the community that I've lived in my entire life, Perry Township." She wanted to "give back to others less fortunate."
Her employer, Park Tree Investments in North Canton, agreed to match the monetary amount and donate that to the pantry as well, she said.
Bonnie Wheeler-McElroy, community relations specialist for Buehler's Fresh Foods, told her that in previous shopping sprees, participants have traditionally headed for meats. Due to the economy, Wheeler-McElroy said, more recent participants head for detergents and diapers.
But Zartman's goal was staple foods, such as dry goods. Her focus was cereal, canned goods, pastas and whatever foods she could get that would allow the pantry to serve the most people.
"I'm going for the food. I want to feed people," Zartman said. "There are people who aren't eating. There are people who don't even know where their next meal is coming from."
Zartman said she set her sights on non-perishables.
Wheeler-McElroy was happy to hear that.
"We are about feeding people, especially the most vulnerable in our society," Wheeler-McElroy said.
Those were words Brett Huntsman was also happy to hear.
"This will help a lot of families," Huntsman said as he cheered Zartman on. The director of the Food Cupboard for Perry Helping Perry, Huntsman estimated Zartman's cache of groceries will feed about 200 families.
Reach The Canton Repository at 330-580-8300 or newsroom@cantonrep.com.
