Published: May 10, 2008 01:27 am            

A real ‘Can-Do’ attitude

Mail carriers collecting food today

PALESTINE — Local residents can help stamp out hunger in Palestine today.

Palestine city and rural postal carriers will join other letter carriers around the nation today for the National Association of Letter Carrier’s 16th annual “Stamp Out Hunger” Food Drive by picking up non-perishable food items in plastic sacks, bags or boxes at mailboxes.

“We collected 6,500 lbs. of food last year, though normally we collect 8,000 lbs. — 8,000 lbs. is what we would like to collect this year,” said local spokesman Larry Loney said. “We hope the commmunity can come together so we can give back to the community.”

All of the food collected locally will go to local food banks.

“It will stay right here in Palestine,” Loney said. “We will deliver the food to the food banks.”

In order to participate, leave non-perishable food items at your mailbox today in a plastic sack, grocery bag or box today for the mail carrier to pick up. Those with post office boxes can leave food in the hamper in the Palestine Post Office lobby.

“Summer is coming on and kids will be out of school pretty soon — that’s why we target the food drive in May,” Loney said. “This is the time when children are in the most need and the food banks are at their lowest. With the rising cost of food and gas, requests for assistance have grown even more.”

Nationwide, 71 million pounds of food was collected last year — making it the largest one-day food drive in the world.

        

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