By By Adam Prestridge
The community’s support of the National Association of Letter Carriers’ (NALC) food drive is needed this year, more than ever, according to Atmore Post Office shop steward Patricia Reynolds.
Each year, the Atmore Post Office participates in the NALC’s “Stamp Out Hunger” food drive and Saturday local letter carriers are hoping for big results.
Last year, Atmore received 6,950 of the 243,000 pounds of non-perishable food items collected by the NALC Branch 469, which includes all post offices from Brewton to Mobile. The food collected in Atmore was then donated to the Atmore Area Christian Care Ministry’s food bank for distribution to area needy.
The Christian Care Ministry is a non-profit organization, run strictly by volunteers, that helps people by providing food and financial support when needed.
Atmore Postmaster Lester Cogollo said he is pleased each year with how the letter carriers work together to make the food drive a success.
Reynolds said Atmore area residents should begin receiving postcards promoting “Stamp Out Hunger” and plastic bags to place food items in beginning today through Friday. The bags should be left at mailboxes and filled with food on Saturday for collection.
Reynolds said the food drive is a team effort in Atmore. She said all post office personnel participate in an effort to “Stamp Out Hunger.”
More than 1,400 branches have committed to the event, according to NALC Chief Operating Officer Pat Donahoe.
The USPS — through its “Priority Mail” brand — is a primary event sponsor. Other sponsors include Campbell Soup, Valpak-Cox Target Media, United Way of America, the AFL-CIO, and Feeding America (formerly America’s Second Harvest).
In the past 16 years, the Atmore Post Office has collected nearly 100,000 pounds of food during its food drive. Reynolds said the most collected was 8,700 pounds, a record she would love to see fall this year.
Reynolds said businesses can leave food items in front of their buildings between now and Saturday for pickup. She said that she would even make special arrangements for those not in town, just give her a call on her cell phone at 251-294-0732.