Editorials, Opinion

Do something good and get something good

In Parking Authority partnership with Pantry Plus, 1 item = 1 forgiven ticket

Every once in a while, karma is very direct: You do something good and immediately get something good in return. In this case, karma is being helped by the Morgantown Parking Authority, which will forgive expired meter tickets in exchange for eligible donations for Pantry Plus More.

The donation drive runs from now until Nov. 9, and a full list of eligible items can be found at parkmpa.com. One item equals one forgiven ticket, up to two tickets; so, if you donate two or more items, you can have two tickets waived. (The additional items may not cancel out additional tickets, but it does earn you extra karma points.) Donations can be dropped off between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday-Friday at the MPA office on Spruce Street.

Right now, these are the items Pantry Plus More needs the most:

  • Pancake mix and syrup
  • Peanut butter and jelly
  • Condiments (ketchup, mayonnaise, salad dressing, etc.)
  • Cereal
  • Microwaveable ready meals (Hormel, Dinty Moore, Chef Boyardee, etc.)
  • Slim Jims and jerky
  • Jif-to-Go and Nutella-to-Go
  • Snacks (pudding cups, Jello cups, etc.)
  • Juice boxes (100% juice)
  • Laundry supplies (detergent, dryer sheets, etc.)
  • Cleaning supplies (multi-cleaner, disinfecting wipes, dish detergent, etc.)
  • Hygiene items (body wash, shampoo & conditioner, deodorant, etc.)

A quick note: Expired, open, damaged and sample-size items can’t be accepted. The MPA also cannot take items in glass containers or those that must be refrigerated.

If you don’t have any expired meter tickets but still want to help Pantry Plus More, you can donate directly to the Pantry. It also happily takes monetary donations on its website (via PayPal) at pantryplusmore.org/donate.