VENICE, Italy — USNS Trenton (T-EPF 5), Military Sealift Command’s expeditionary fast transport ship, participated in a community relations project while the ship was in port Venice, Italy, March 7.

Trenton crewmembers volunteered at Emporio Della Solidarieta, an organization established in 2008 with the goal to provide local low-income families with bare-necessity items, including food and personal products, by operating a store, a school and offering housing for adults requiring extra assistance.

“It was really great to learn about the mission of the Emporio and all that they do for the local community,” said Lt. Cmdr. Matt DeBaun, Trenton’s assistant officer in charge. “We were glad to assist and hope our efforts will help their operations moving forward.”

The Trenton team was asked to organize the pasta supplies located in the organization’s warehouse that stores donated items for distribution. The ship’s volunteers sorted through more than 50 boxes of pasta, verified the expiration dates on the boxes, repackaged and arranged the boxes by date. This assistance will help Emporio staff members align product dates to prevent expiration waste and to continually provide current items to those in need.

“This was a great opportunity for our Sailors to give back to the Venice community,” said Cmdr. Tim Rustico, Trenton’s officer in charge. “Emporio is doing some amazing work, and it was an honor to assist them in their mission.”

Military Sealift Command operates approximately 125 naval auxiliary civilian-crewed ships, replenishes U.S. Navy ships, strategically prepositions combat cargo at sea and moves military cargo and supplies used by deployed U.S. forces and coalition partners around the world.

Trenton is currently deployed in the U.S. Sixth Fleet area of operations. Sixth Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied and interagency partners, in order to advance U.S. national security interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa.