Stamp Out Hunger drive fills big gap for local food pantries
CONNIE SWINNEY • PICAYUNE STAFF
MARBLE FALLS — Postal workers will carry a much heavier load May 10 in the effort to feed the hungry.
Area residents may place bags of non-perishable food items for local pantries alongside their mailboxes for pick up by mail carriers during the 22nd annual Stamp Out Hunger Letter Carrier’s Food Drive.
The event, sponsored by the National Association of Letter Carriers and the U.S. Postal Service, utilizes mail carriers to collect thousands of pounds of food for The Helping Center of Marble Falls, Joseph’s Food Pantry in Granite Shoals and Burnet’s LaCARE food bank.
“There has been a 100 percent buy-in from my employees,” Marble Falls Postmaster Alan Smith said. “They know it’s a lot of work, but they know it’s for a good cause. It’s one of those things that’s hot and tiresome, but they’re very satisfied at the end of the day.”
Grocery bags are expected to appear in mailboxes May 8 or 9 in Marble Falls, Burnet and Granite Shoals to be filled by customers and retrieved by postal workers May 10.
Residents typically donate canned meats, fruits and vegetables, evaporated milk, cereal and other non-perishable food items. In 2013, mail carriers collected 7,000-8,000 pounds for the Marble Falls area.
Officials say the amount of giving has jumped five to six times since 2008; however, they noticed a slight decrease in the amount of food donated last year.
“We were down a little bit. I do think it was the economy, but, with the economy, we have even more people hurting,” Smith said. “We’re hoping to get more (during this food drive).”
Food pantry officials say a spike in applicants makes this year’s campaign even more critical.
“I’ve had an unusual amount of people in the last month that have lost their jobs for some reason. We have disabled people and people who are sick. It’s been a big drain on our resources.” said Martin McLean, the interim executive director of The Helping Center. “When there’s the holiday season, a lot of people donate; then, they’re waiting for the next holiday. The postal food drive really fills in a gap.”
Along with drive-by collections, donation containers are located in at post offices lobbies in Marble Falls, Burnet and Horseshoe Bay for resident drop-offs.
“This is a very generous and caring community,” McLean said. “We’re so grateful. It makes life a little easier for us to have so much support.”
Go to www.nalc.org or www.helpstampouthunger.com for more.
connie@thepicayune.com