Published: May 09, 2008 07:25 am      

U.S. Postal Service sponsoring food drive

Local News

You can donate from your own home this Saturday.

This Saturday through the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive the United States Postal Service will be picking up non-perishable items that will go toward fighting hunger.

The food drive sponsored by the Campbell Soup Company and The United States Postal Service is the “nation’s largest single-day food drive.” Through their effort now in its 16th year, more than 836 million pounds of food have been collected since 1993. Last year letter carriers across the county collected more than 70 million pounds in food.

For Pulaski Countians who donate food, their donations will go toward God’s Food Pantry and the pantry at the Bethany House Abuse Shelter.

Rob Thomas, city carrier for the Somerset Post Office who is leading the effort for Saturday’s Food Drive, said he wanted to help in the efforts because God’s Food Pantry was previously on his route and seeing what’s going on there really impacted him.

“You know there’s a need when they are backed up in line (at the pantry),” said Thomas.

To donate to the food drive, people both on rural and city routes should place items of food in bags next to their mailbox and then their letter carrier will pick up the items and they will be delivered to both God’s Food Pantry and Bethany House.

Items that can be donated include canned meats and fish, canned soup, juice, pasta, vegetables, cereal and rice. However, people should not include items in glass containers or outdated items.

Debbie Long, Executive Director of God’s Food Pantry, said that the demand just continues to grow at the pantry, as they had 125 more families visit the pantry last month than the previous month.

“With demand being higher because of the economy, it is imperative that we get some major food donations going this time,” said Long, noting they are fortunate to be in Pulaski County and help.

Long said there were 11,000 pounds donated through the postal food drive last year.

“I would encourage an increase in that,” said Long.

And while the food drive is extra work for the postal carriers, Thomas said the carriers are very excited about it.

“It’s extra work, but its a good thing knowing you’re doing a small thing to help out,” said Thomas.

As well as households donating, Thomas said classes at some of the schools around the county are competing to see who collects the most food. Thomas said the postal service will provide a pizza party for the class at each school that wins.

He added that the post office competes with others which are comparable size and whoever collects the most food, the Campbell’s Soup Company donates another 1,000 pounds to that community.

“If everybody could pitch in one can, no telling how much it would help Pulaski County,” said Thomas.