White Lake Area residents recently demonstrated generous support for their friends and neighbors who don’t have enough to eat by donating an estimated 7,000 pounds of food during the 34th annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive.
The food drive is led by the National Association of Letter Carriers and Rural Route Carriers, and supported by the United States Postal Service. The national event is held each year on the second Saturday in May and has grown into one of the country’s largest one-day food drives, helping supply food pantries in communities across the US.
This year, residents were encouraged to put donations of non-perishable foods by their mailbox on May 9 for their letter carrier to pick up. The 7,000 pounds of food collected locally included everything from coffee and breakfast cereals to pasta, canned fruits and vegetables, canned soups, and side dishes such as mashed potatoes and seasoned rice.
Rural letter carrier Saleena Millet coordinates the drive in the White Lake Area. She selected New Beginnings, the Rothbury Community Food Pantry, and the White Lake Area Food Pantry based at Lebanon Lutheran Church to receive the food.
“As the cost of food goes up, the number of individuals and families who can’t afford the groceries they need is growing,” said Montague resident and volunteer Paul Collins, who coordinates procurement of most of the food distributed Wednesday mornings at the White Lake Area Food Pantry.
“We are tremendously grateful to all the residents who donated the food, to the letter carriers who collected it, and to Saleena for the time and energy she puts into this important annual food drive,” said Collins. “This generous outpouring of support makes it possible for us to purchase for clients additional food items that are not usually donated such as milk and meat.”
Individuals and families who are short of funds to buy the food they need are encouraged to call any of the pantries for information about when food is distributed.
