Stamp Out Hunger aids local families
By Becky Barclay
Published in News on May 14, 2014 1:46 PM
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News-Argus/BOBBY WILLIAMS
Postal letter carrier Cliff Barker takes donated food out of a cart and places it into a tub at the post office on Cashwell Drive. Postal carriers collected food for their annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive.
Wayne County postal workers collected twice as much food as expected during their recent Stamp Out Hunger food drive.
Postal workers had hoped to collect 16,000 pounds of food this year, but when it was weighed, the total was 30,200 pounds. And there is still more food in collection bins at both of Goldsboro's post offices.
"I was like, 'Wow, this is amazing,'" said Cliff Barker, coordinator for the food drive.
Barker said the general consensus among the letter carriers as to why they collected so much was because they put plastic bags in mailboxes throughout the county for people to put their donations in this year, the 19th the drive has been held.
"The bags were donated by AARP and Publix," Barker said. "They had our logo on them and also said fill this bag. And people did. They really came through.
"All the carriers were amazed by how much food they got. People came through for us on every route. One carrier told me that a lady on his route brought out a wheelbarrel full of food."
Barker estimates that there is still about 500 pounds of food in the bins at the post offices that hasn't been distributed.
Food was donated to the Community Soup Kitchen, HGDC Community Crisis Center, Salvation Army, Society of St. Vincent de Paul, United Church Ministries and Wayne Uplift Domestic Violence Shelter.
"The pantries are beside themselves they are so happy with all this food," Barker said. "They were amazed and were wondering where they were going to put it.
"It was just a fantastic turnout this year. I wish we could do this every year. It was all because of the people of Goldsboro."
People may drop off nonperishable, non-expired foods to either of Goldsboro's post offices through Friday.