The National Association of Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive™ takes place this Saturday. Non-perishable food items being collected for area food pantries include: canned meats and fish, canned soup, juice, pasta, vegetables, cereal and rice, etc. (no glass containers or expired items, please.) If you’d like to participate, please place your food donation at your mailbox on May 10, prior to your carrier’s arrival.

According to the National Association of Letter Carrier’s website: nalc.org, “The challenge this year is especially daunting. All signs point to a deepening recession, and with gasoline prices flirting with $4 a gallon, more and more families—including those of carriers—are looking everywhere for ways to save money. This economic squeeze comes while 35 million Americans are experiencing what the federal government refers to as ‘very low food security,’ a euphemistic way of saying people are either already going hungry or are worried about where their next meal will come from.”

“In 2007, the drive delivered 70.7 million pounds of non-perishable items donated by patrons to local food organizations—the fourth consecutive year the total surpassed 70 million pounds. Last year’s figure brought the overall total for the nationwide drive’s history to 836.2 million pounds,” the website explains.

Christine Starkweather, Milanville Postmaster, says they’ve collected anywhere from 10 to 25 bags of food in past. “People are more than generous. Some people leave two and three bags out,” she said. Even with the higher cost of living and gorging gas prices, Starkweather says people will give. “I hope they give what they can and know that it’s going to a really good cause — for people that don’t have ...It’s hard for a lot of people right now, so the need is even greater,” she said.

 
“In a small community, people will dig deep when there’s a need. They really do.. We have a great turnout every year,” she said.

Last year, the Honesdale Post Office filled two half-ton vehicles, says Tim Moffitt, Acting Supervisor for Customer Service. The entire region is busy, he says, with Olyphant and Pittston and more collecting all day, emptying pickup truck loads of food and refilling time and again. “It has grown over the years. Participation from the public has gotten bigger and bigger and bigger,” he said.