“Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds,” and now we’re asking them to do carry out? In truth, it was the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) who initiated the “Stamp Out Hunger” national food drive 20years ago to benefit Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization.
This year the Campbell Soup Company is participating in the program, and jumping in the soup pot with them: the U.S. Postal Service, the National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association, AARP, Valpak, the AFL-CIO, United Way, and Uncle Bob’s Self Storage. H-E-B Food Bank Program will be sponsoring the bags that will be distributed to the households by the mail carriers in Montgomery County. Please donate what you can to the mix.
I have relatives who are postal carriers, and they’ve told me that over the two decades this annual food drive has taken place, some years they’ve never picked up a single item. I’m posting myself a letter as a reminder to put some non-perishable food items (probably some Campbell soup) out for my letter carrier on Saturday, for this annual food drive.
Held annually on the second Saturday in May, this has become the nation’s largest, single-day food drive. In 2011, generous Americans donated 70.2 million pounds of food, making it the eighth consecutive year that at least 70 million pounds were collected by our letter carriers. In 2011, nearly 21,000 pounds of food was picked up by postal carriers in Montgomery County.
To participate, residents can leave a sturdy bag containing non-perishable foods, like canned soup and vegetables, or pasta, rice & cereal, next to their mailbox prior to the time of regular mail delivery on Saturday, May 12. Local letter carriers will collect these food donations as they deliver the mail and take them to the Montgomery County Food Bank. Try to time placing your donation out at you mail receptacle just prior to the mail delivery. In past years there have been reports of people driving around picking them the donations before the mail carriers arrive. If you witness this activity, use your cell phone camera to snap a photo of the car, and report the description to the Sheriff’s Department. Or you can deliver your donation to your regional post office. In the past, I’ve left a note in my mail box letting my mail carrier know that I took my donation to the post office, just to let them know that I supported their program and appreciated their efforts.
The Montgomery County Association of Business Women (MCABW) will be hosting a food drive at their May monthly after-hours networking mixer, held this Thursday, May 10, at The Forum at The Woodlands, located at West Panther Creek, from 5-7pm. Open to all women in the public, guests are encouraged to bring their business cards and literatures, and partake in this networking event. Although not required, guests can also participate in the food drive if they have some non-perishable food products they can spare. The event will include complimentary refreshments, camaraderie, and door prizes. For more information about the MCABW go to
www.mcabw.org
All food collected in Montgomery County will be delivered to the Montgomery County Food Bank located at 111 South 2nd Street in Conroe. Their mission is feed the hungry of Montgomery County. Over 30,000 meals are provided monthly to hungry county residents. To learn how you can support the Food Bank, call 936-539-6686, or visit their website at
www.montgomerycountyfoodbank.com Donations can also be dropped off at the Food Bank.
Give the “Stamp Out Hunger” program your stamp of approval by posting this blog to your Facebook page. Your postal carrier will be so appreciative. Do want you can to help feed the hungry of Montgomery County.
