Near record lows didn’t freeze food donations
It was cold. It was windy. By all accounts it was an all-around miserable spring day last Saturday in Minnesota. Even the state’s fishing opener was a bust. The only thing colder than a walleye bite – was the chill in the air.
But the near record low temperatures were no match for the country’s letter carriers. Not rain, sleet, snow, nor near record lows could keep them from ensuring that not only the mail got through, but thousands of pounds of food did, too.
The letter carrier’s “Stamp Out Hunger” food drive tradition may not be as old as the Minnesota fishing opener, but what it lacks in years it makes up for in filling shelves and empty stomachs.
The United States Postal Service asked people to leave nonperishable food donations by their mailboxes for pickup on Saturday, May 14–the letter carriers did the rest.
From Williston, N.D. to Willmar, Minn., postal workers collected truckloads of food.
“Stamp Out Hunger” is held every second Saturday in May. Letter carriers in more than 10,000 cities and towns collect food as part of the largest one day food drive in the nation. It started more than 2o years ago and over that time more than a billion pounds of food has been donated.
Summer is a busy time for food shelves, while kids are home from school and no longer receiving free lunch.
For parents who may already struggle to provide food for their kids, it can be difficult to make ends meet.
What’s worse is that food shelf donations fall off dramatically in the summer time. So the food collected on Saturday will help ease that pain and provide healthy meals for families in your community.
“Everything that is donated stays within your community,” explained Colonel Robert Thomson, The Salvation Army of Minnesota and North Dakota leader. “You literally could be helping your neighbor.”
A special thanks to all of the volunteers who helped sort and organize the donations. Thank you to the letter carriers as well, each year carriers go above and beyond the call and their efforts do not go unnoticed and are greatly appreciated.
Please join The Salvation Army by volunteering (view local opportunities by selecting “Volunteering” in the community menu) or making a donation to support your local community today.