The Bengals holiday effort in the community has taken on a grand reach, from running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis's carefully-planned meal giveaway to defensive lineman Wallace Gilberry's impromptu stop at the Freestore Foodbank after Friday's practice.
Green-Ellis fed 175 needy families that were selected by staffers at the James J. Espy Center, where Friday evening's pickup took place in Lower Price Hill.
Each box may have ended up providing a couple of dinners depending on the size of the family. The meal consisted of chicken, pasta, sauce, macaroni and cheese, canned goods, fresh produce and bread.
And then there was Gilberry's sudden stint at the Freestore Foodbank's Liberty Street center Friday afternoon on his way home from work.
"He pulled over, jumped out of his car and asked, 'Is there anything I can do to help?' " said Sarah Cook of the Freestore Foodbank. "So he helped us put together holiday meals and gift bags for two-and-a-half hours. And then he went back on his way. Talk about a random act of kindness."
