Stamp Out Hunger to begin on May 13
By Becky Barclay
Published in News on May 7, 2017 1:45 AM
Full SizeWayne County's letter carriers will not only be delivering mail May 13, but they will also be collecting food from customers on their routes for local charities.
The 24th annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive will be going on all day. It's sponsored by the National Association of Letter Carriers.
"We are trying to surpass our goal from last year," said Amanda Magera, a letter carrier and this year's point of contact for letter carriers. "Last year, we collected 15,250 pounds of food. Our goal this year is 18,000 pounds."
She said about a week before the food drive, letter carriers will deliver information cards about the event to Wayne County residents in their mailboxes. There will also be grocery bags from Food Lion for residents to put their donations in the day of the drive.
"If they just want to clean out anything or any excess from their homes, we can use it," Ms. Magera said. "We're looking for nonperishables like canned foods, boxed meals, canned fruits and vegetables, boxed pastas and things that can be cooked in bulk for both adults and children. But nothing that's expired."
The day of the drive, residents can put their food donations by their mailbox either curbside or at their door if that's where their mailbox is located. The letter carriers will pick it up.
People can also drop their food donations by either of Goldsboro's two post offices. Boxes will be available for donations a day or two before the day of the drive.
Ms. Magera said that if you have just one can of food to spare, every little bit helps.
"When we get back from our routes that day, we have a lot of volunteers that unload and pack everything up," Ms. Magera said. "Some truck drivers have volunteered to take the truck and weigh the food then take it to the designated agencies."
This year's recipients are Community Soup Kitchen, Salvation Army, Community Crisis Center, Society of St. Vincent de Paul, United Church Ministries, Wayne Uplift Domestic Violence Assistance and Make a Difference Food Pantry.
"We choose agencies that have the most output of meals and the most need," Ms. Magera said. "I know that the agencies that provide meals have had a rough year this past year with the hurricane and other things, so there's more of a need in our community now more than ever."
She said the food drive is something that the letter carriers can do while they're on the job.
"We work a lot of long hours and are everywhere in the community," Ms. Magera said. "We touch every home in this community. It's a lot of extra work, but it's so worth it. It's just knowing that we're doing a good thing contributing our time and efforts."