Kotecki, Shaw nonprofits lead drive to fill bare shelves at Lower Burrell food bank

Nonprofit coordinators for two fallen police officers in the Alle-Kiski Valley, Derek Kotecki and Brian Shaw, are teaming up to collect food for St. Margaret Mary Food Bank in Lower Burrell this weekend.

The third annual Fallen Officers Food Drive is set for Saturday at Mogie’s Irish Pub in Lower Burrell from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Residents are asked to drop off dry goods, canned goods, bottled water and condiments to Mogie’s lower parking lot where the local U-Haul office is providing a free truck to whisk away the food to the church.

The need for food is dire, said Allegheny Township’s Larry Kupec, one of the coordinators of the food bank that serves about 250 families in Lower Burrell, West Leechburg, Apollo, New Kensington and Arnold.

“Our shelves are pretty much bare because donations have fallen off dramatically for us,” Kupec said

St. Margaret Mary’s typically carries an inventory of food to supplement what they receive from the Westmoreland County Food Bank. Area food banks have been reporting low inventories since last year.

This is the time of year, right after the holidays, when food banks are depleted and that’s why local organizers have held a local food drive for a third time in January, said Leslie Zellers, secretary of the Brian Shaw Memorial Fund. Both Shaw, a former New Kensington police officer, and Kotecki, a former Lower Burrell officer, were gunned down while on duty in separate incidents. Nonprofits honoring both men support scholarships, police dogs and other community and public safety efforts.

“We thought it was best to show support to help the food bank replenish their shelves,” Zellers said. “It’s more important this year because of the pandemic and people losing their jobs, with some worrying how they are going to feed their kids.”

Last year, the Fallen Officers Food Drive collected 25 cases of bottled water and about 100 boxes of other food, Zellers said.

The food drive has been successful, at least in part, because of its connection to Kotecki and Shaw.

“The food drive is a way of honoring those fallen officers while also helping those in need,” said Eric Felack, chief of staff for state Rep. Bob Brooks, R-Murrysville. “Also, we can count on the good people of Alle-Kiski Valley to pitch in when times are tough.”