PITTSBURG — The National Association of Letter Carriers has been fighting hunger for 25 years — and 2017 is no different.
The NALC is hosting its 25th Annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive this Saturday, and letter carriers in southeast Kansas will collect non-perishable items for local food pantries.
Letter Carrier and Pittsburg Food Drive Coordinator Jarrod Woolridge said last year Pittsburg carriers brought in 13,172 pounds of food, and all the food donated stays local.
“We donate to three food pantries in Pittsburg,” Woolridge said. “Wesley House, Safehouse Crisis Center and Christ Community Church.”
To participate, residents simply need to put non-perishable canned or boxed food items out by their mailbox to be picked up by carriers Saturday. The carriers cover all of Pittsburg and Frontenac.
“It’s pretty easy,” Woolridge said. “Just leave your food items out by the mailbox and your carrier will pick them up on their route Saturday.”
Woolridge has coordinated the event since 2009, and said the numbers have continued to increase.
“The amount of food has gone up and up the past four or five years,” he said. “So it’s been really good.”
Carriers have placed postcards and grocery bags promoting the event in many mailboxes over the past week, and items can be left in the bags to be picked up.
Many food pantries receive most of their donations around Christmas and Thanksgiving, meaning they can run short in the spring. This makes the letter carrier food drive an important event for keeping their shelves stocked throughout the year.
— Chance Hoener is a staff writer for the Morning Sun. He can be emailed at choener@morningsun.net or follow him on Twitter @ReporterChance.