Letter carriers deliver food as well as mail Saturday

1 of 2

From left: Brad Pope, Vivian Van Winkle and Randy Wiles unload donated food from a postal service truck Saturday for sorting by food bank volunteers at the Baptist Campus Ministries building at Eastern Kentucky University

Volunteers from four local food banks sort donated food collected from postal patrons Saturday by members of the National Association of Letter Carriers.

At the height of the season, Santa’s North Pole workshop couldn’t be any busier than the Baptist Campus Ministry Building at Eastern Kentucky University was Saturday afternoon.

Just as Christmas is a season of giving, the second Saturday in May is another. That’s when members of the National Association of Letter Carriers pick up and deliver more than the mail.

During their Stamp Out Hunger fund drive, the postal employees ask patrons to place donations of non-perishable food items by their mail boxes.

The donations are then sorted by volunteers from local food banks that receive the food.

More than 40 volunteers representing Home Meals Delivery, the Salvation Army, God’s Outreach and the New Liberty Family Shelter, did their best to stay ahead of the deliveries at the BCM building.

At 4 p.m., with another truck or two still to arrive, Karl Park, president of the Home Meals Delivery board, said he expected at least 300 boxes of food to be sort for delivery to the four agencies.

Last year, the total was 275 boxes. The extra food coming in is much needed, Park said, because all four agencies are trying to meet increased needs.

As he arrived at the BCM in a medium sized postal truck laden with bags of food instead of mail, Randy Wiles, president of the NALC’s Richmond local, said each postal service customer received a post card this week reminding them of the drive.

Although it means longer hours and extra lifting, the postal workers are always happy to help food banks “stamp out hunger” in their communities, Wiles said.