Postal carrier food drive is set for Saturday

BY JOURNAL TIMES STAFF

Friday, May 9, 2008 9:42 AM CDT

RACINE — The annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive by the U.S. Postal Service will be Saturday, May 10.

Residents are asked to help feed the hungry by leaving food by their mailbox. Racine letter carriers will collect the food and the Racine County Food Bank will sort and distribute the food through their network of food pantries, emergency shelters and meal sites.

Summer is an especially high-risk period for hunger because children are not receiving regular meals in school. The Racine County Food Bank’s “super six” most needed items are peanut butter, tuna fish, canned meats, canned fruits, canned pasta with meat and beef stew. People should not donate items in glass containers.

The Stamp Out Hunger food drive is the nation’s largest one-day drive. This year, more than 1,200 letter carriers will participate in southeastern Wisconsin. Last year, more than 1.6 million pounds of food were collected in southeastern Wisconsin, 73,772 pounds locally.

Letter carriers will deliver donation bags and reminder postcards into mailboxes in the days leading up to the drive.

The Racine County Food Bank needs volunteers to work during the food drive. Volunteers will work at area post offices and other sites helping letter carriers unload food from postal trucks and sort and load food onto trucks for delivery to the food bank. To volunteer, call Dan Taivalkoski at (262) 632-2307.

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