Letter carriers ask mail patrons to help ‘stamp out’ hunger with food gifts
Letter carriers and volunteers are set to pick up food donations this Saturday in Thurston County, with a goal of collecting more than 100,000 pounds of non-perishable goods for the Thurston County Food Bank, organizers said.
The Stamp Out Hunger food drive takes place nationwide. It is organized by the National Association of Letter Carriers and the U.S. Postal Service.
Residents can expect to receive a plastic bag in the mail this week that can be filled with canned, boxed or bagged food, said letter carrier and organizer Ruth Milroy. They are not accepting glass items, bulk foods in an open bag, or homemade food, she said.
To donate, food should be placed in the plastic bag and put next to the mailbox by 9 a.m. Saturday.
The plastic bag ban does not apply in this situation because “food banks and other food assistance programs are not considered to be retail establishments,” according to the bag ban ordinance.
Former letter carrier Ric Zassenhaus, who recently retired, used to coordinate the local food drive. He said the food bank appreciates donations of protein, such as peanut butter or tuna.
Saturday’s food drive is the single largest collection day for the food bank, said Judy Jones, operations manager for the food bank’s downtown location.
Organizers hope to exceed more than 100,000 pounds of food. Last year, total collections fell by about 10,000 pounds, Milroy said, likely because of the number of food drives throughout the year, or a lack of awareness.
One year, the food drive collected 140,000 pounds of food, Zassenhaus said. Milroy said people donated generously following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. There also was a year when the weight of donations exceeded the weight limit of postal service vehicles.
Post offices in the county also are accepting food donations this week, Milroy said.
Rolf Boone: 360-754-5403, @rolf_boone
This story was originally published May 9, 2016 at 5:16 PM with the headline "Letter carriers ask mail patrons to help ‘stamp out’ hunger with food gifts."