Post office asks us to help stamp out hunger

BEACON PHOTO/AL EVERSON
Ready to collect food — DeLand Postmaster Paula NeJame and Mike Humphreys, a letter carrier, are preparing for the 2009 Help Stamp Out Hunger food drive, set for May 9. The DeLand post office’s goal is to collect at least 44,000 pounds of canned and other nonperishable food items, which will be given to local food banks.

By Al Everson
BEACON STAFF WRITER

posted May 7, 2009 - 8:48:00am

In a time when charities and churches are seeing a rising demand for food aid, U.S. postal workers are readying for their annual collection of food donations.

“It’s the country’s largest food drive,” said DeLand Postmaster Paula NeJame, regarding the event.

On Saturday, May 9, mail-delivery personnel will pick up canned goods and other nonperishable

food items left at mailboxes. The food collected on the mail routes will be taken to local post offices and in turn given to local food banks. In addition, the DeLand postal store at 336 E. New York Ave. will have a barrel to receive food donations from customers.

Last year, the DeLand post office collected 40,000 pounds of food, NeJame said.

“We didn’t expect to do that well, and we were pleasantly surprised,” she said. “We’re hoping to increase that by about 10 percent this year.”

The DeLand post office’s goal for the 2009 postal food drive is 44,000 pounds.

Once gathered, the food will be given to three entities: St. Peter Catholic Church, First Assembly of God, and The Neighborhood Center of West Volusia.

“The food stays local,” NeJame said.

Mike Humphreys, a letter carrier in DeLand, hopes his patrons will be quite generous in helping him fill his truck with food.

“I have 600 stops on my route. If everybody gives one can, that’s 600 cans,” he said.

Often, Humphreys explained, nothing is left at any of the mailboxes, but at others he finds several donated items.

As well as canned vegetables and meat, Humphreys said there is a need for other items, such as peanut butter, canned tuna, pasta and snack foods. In addition, baby food and personal-hygiene items like diapers, soap, toothpaste, toilet paper and feminine supplies are needed.

“Make sure to put it out Saturday morning, so the carrier will pick it up,” NeJame said.

As for those who receive their mail in community mailboxes, or cluster boxes, NeJame added patrons should put the food on top of the boxes.

The letter carriers will distribute bags, provided by Publix Supermarkets, to hold the food donations in advance of the May 9 collection.

The Help Stamp Out Hunger food drive has the support of the U.S. Postal Service’s management and the labor unions of postal employees: the American Postal Workers Union, the National Association of Letter Carriers, and the National Association of Rural Letter Carriers. Other sponsors include Campbell’s Soup, Val-Pak Coupons and the United Way.

The food drive comes at a time when charities find their pantries are in need of restocking.

“We always need food. The community has reached out to us, but we always need food, because the demand is rising,” said Susan Clark, executive director of The Neighborhood Center of West Volusia.

— pat@beacononlinenews.com

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