Postal workers food drive successful

Thursday, May 14, 2009
Janie Briones was busy Sunday morning delivering the thousands of pounds of food collected by local postal workers Saturday during their annual food drive. The donations were given to the Putnam County Senior Center's Food Pantry.

Last weekend, letter carriers in Putnam County delivered more than mail as they participated in the United States Postal Service's 17th Annual National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Food Drive.

The Greencastle Post Office was the lead in this year's project. Postal customers were asked to leave bags or boxes of non-perishable food items next to their mailboxes last Saturday. Letter carriers picked up the donations, which were delivered to the Putnam County Senior Center's Food Pantry for distribution.

Tubs for donations were set up at post offices in Bainbridge, Roachdale, Russellville, Cloverdale, Fillmore and Putnamville. Letter carrier Janie Briones, who has been with the post office since 1992, coordinated all aspects of the food drive locally. This was her sixth year to participate in the event.

"I've seen the food pantry before and after the drive. It's unreal. It gives you a real sense of helping," said Briones.

"We collected 2,800 pounds of food this year, and we haven't picked up any collections from the small post offices," Briones reported Sunday morning as she and Susan Waver unloaded box after box of donations at the Senior Center Sunday morning.

During the annual NALC drive, millions of pounds of food is collected by the 300,000 members and delivered to local community food banks, pantries and shelters.

NALC works in partnership with the AFL-CIO Community Services Network, America's Second Harvest, the Nation's Food Bank Network, Campbell's Soup Company, Valpak and United Way of America.

The Senior Center typically collects any type of food item including canned tuna, canned meat, canned vegetables and fruits, fruit juices, cereals, soups, boxed macaroni and cheese, dry potato flakes or other dry potatoes, peanut butter and toilet paper.

Additionally, items that are given away in every box or bag include cake, brownie and cookie mixes, jellies, ketchup, mustard, pickles and crackers.

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