by Dwight Turner

It’s that time of year again! A time when local residents have the opportunity to participate in a charitable drive that benefits many people in many ways.

This coming Saturday, May 12 letter carriers in the Ardmore, AL/TN area and in more than 10,000 cities and towns across America will deliver more than mail when they walk and drive along their postal routes. Letter carriers also will collect the goodness and compassion of their postal customers participating in the 15th Annual National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Food Drive.

The NALC Food Drive is the largest one-day food drive in the nation and, according to Ardmore Postmaster Ken Watts, the generosity of the Ardmore community in past food drives has been unsurpassed.

Letter carriers will collect non-perishable food donations left beside mailboxes and then deliver them to local community food banks, pantries and shelters. Additionally, large hampers will be set up in the Ardmore Post Office if participants would rather drop food contributions off at the Post Office

“We appreciate the generous support and participation of the residents in the local community in supporting our annual food drive in years past,” said Watts. “We are asking for the support of our surrounding communities because our food bank in Ardmore helps many area residents who are in need.”

The effort by letter carriers, with the help of rural letter carriers and others in the United States Postal Service has resulted in delivery of well over a half billion pounds of donations to community food banks and pantries over the past 14 years. The NALC Food Drive began in 1993.

To participate, postal customers should place a box or can of non-perishable food next to their mailbox before their letter carrier delivers mail this Saturday, May 12. The carrier will do the rest. The food is taken to the Post Office, sorted, and then delivered to an area food bank, where it is made available for needy families in the community.

Campbell Soup Company and the U.S. Postal Service are major supporters, co-sponsoring the printing of 110 million postcards for delivery by letter carriers to encourage the public to participate in the drive.

An estimated 30 million people face hunger every day in America, including more than 12 million children. The food drive is one way people can help eliminate hunger in their own community.

If you have questions about this year’s food drive, call the Ardmore Post Office at (931) 427-3706.

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