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United Way of Frederick County
Working together matters
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Pictured at a recent planning meeting are, from left, Rev. Brian Scott, The Religious Coalition for Emergency Human Needs; Phyllis Thompson, Middletown Food Bank; Sandy, Brunswick Food Bank; Earlene Lecomett, Post Office food drive coordinator; Sarah McAleavy, Frederick Community Action Agency; Phyllis Kelly, Emmitsburg Food Bank; Rev. Jeff Gehris, Thurmont Food Bank; Beth Richardson (in back), Knoxville Food Bank; Peg Bourland, Walkersville/Glade Valley Food Bank; Linda Craft, Emmitsburg Food Bank; and Orley Bourland, Walkersville/Glade Valley Food Bank.
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| What's in the News?! |
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Local Letter Carriers Join National Association of Letter Carriers
Annual Food Drive to Stamp Out Hunger
April 28th, 2008
FREDERICK, MARYLAND----The National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) union will conduct its 16h annual national food drive to “Stamp Out Hunger” on Saturday, May 10 in more than 10,000 communities across America, with letter carriers collecting food donations as they deliver mail along their postal routes.
NALC carriers will collect nonperishable food donations left by mailboxes and in post office lobbies and allocate them to The Religious Coalition for Emergency Human Needs for distribution to its network of food banks serving needy families residing in Frederick County. Countywide, these food banks currently serve more than 1,000 families each month compared to 759 (a record 35 percent increase), according to the Reverend Brian Scott, executive director of The Religious Coalition.
“This year with the rising cost of food items and rising numbers of families on the verge of eviction and foreclosure, the need for donated food is greater than we have seen in 27 years in serving Frederick County families in need. Increasingly, more children are forced to skip a meal,” Reverend Scott said. The largest demographic served by area food banks are children, according to Reverend Scott. “The NALC food drive comes at a time when donations are especially needed in advance of the summer months when children who rely on nutrition from school lunch programs will be without that resource.”
Taking part in the drive is easy. The Campbell Soup Company and the U.S. Postal Service will jointly provide more than 120 million full-color postcards for mailing to homes in participating communities just before the drive to encourage donations. Approximately 70,000 postcards will be delivered locally to Frederick County residents in Frederick City, Brunswick and Thurmont. These residents are asked to leave nonperishable food donations in a bag near their mailbox on Saturday, May 10 before the arrival of their letter carrier. Preferred items include canned fruits and vegetables, canned meat, cereals, dry pasta, peanut butter, rice, soups, spaghetti, spaghetti sauce and tuna. Glass containers or out-of-date items should not be included. Items may also be taken to any Frederick post office during the week of May 10-16. Food not picked up by a carrier should be dropped off at the nearest post office.
The nation’s largest one-day food drive, the drive collected 70.7 million pounds of food nationwide in 2007. More than 1,500 branches in all 50 states participated. Last year about 20,000 pounds of food were collected by about 100 city and rural postal carriers in Frederick County.
Prime co-sponsors of the NALC Food Drive are the U.S. Postal Service, the AFL-CIO, United Way of America, United Way of Frederick County and America’s Second Harvest. Valpak direct marketing systems is promoting the drive on more than 44 million envelope packets.
For additional information, contact your local post office or The Religious Coalition for Emergency Human Needs at 301-631-2670, ext. 198.
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