Post office carriers to gather up food items

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by Don Jovich

Record-Courier Reporter

On the day before Mother's Day, letter carriers nationwide, including in Aurora, will focus on restocking community food banks that millions of American families rely on throughout the summer.

"Stamp Out Hunger" is the name of the nation's largest single-day food drive sponsored by the U.S. Post Office and the National Association of Letter Carriers.

On May 10, letter carriers throughout Portage County will collect bags filled with nonperishable food items which are placed next to residential mailboxes. Carriers then deliver them to local food banks.

At the U.S. Post Office in Ravenna, postal employee Thomas Horsfall of Streetsboro said they are gearing up for another successful food drive.

Horsfall said each post office branch is working to make a special effort to increase collection totals over last year.

"All of the donations go to local charities and agencies," he said. "This year, we're hoping to make a big difference."

The Center of Hope's Christian Cupboard in Ravenna is among the many area emergency food pantries which will receive the collected donations.

The center provides nutritious hot meals and food pantry assistance that helps families in all areas of Portage County meet their basic needs for food and personal care items.

United Way of Portage County President Steve Kleiber said it, too, is proud to sponsor the annual letter carrier food drive.

"This is an important activity for our community," he said. "We encourage residents to participate by donating items for the food drive."

Kleiber said the United Way of Portage County also works to support the community by impacting people's lives.

The food drive, now in its 16th year, is the nation's biggest community service effort by any union affiliated with the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations.

In 2007, the national drive delivered 70.7 million pounds of nonperishable 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.

"I hope the residents of Portage County will help make the drive successful in their communities," Horsfall said.

E-mail: djovich@recordpub.com Telephone: 330-296-9657