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Local Letter Carriers Ready for Annual Food Drive….NALC effort is “Largest one-day food drive in the nation and probably the

photo by Mike Cameron Jill Charbonneau will once again coordinate this year’s Annual Mother’s Day Weekend Food Drive set for May 9th. The local NALC food drive is cosponsored by the United Way of Addison County

Tuesday May 5, 2009

By Mike Cameron

  Jill Charbonneau has been carrying mail since 1983.  The fact that she has been the local coordinator for the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Food Drive since 1992 says something important about what she and her fellow local letter carrier, volunteers are doing to help feed hungry people.

    “The economy is tough on more and more families.  What I love about the drive is that it shows that our local customers want to help every year.  It makes us feel good and it remains a nice community effort that really helps those who need the food,” she explains.

    “Every second Saturday in May is Mothers’ Day Weekend, and letter carriers in more than 10,000 cities and towns across the country deliver much more than mail when they walk and drive along their postal routes.  They also collect the goodness and compassion of their postal customers who participate in the National Association of Letter Carriers (AFL-CIO) Stamp Out Hunger National Food Drive,” according to the United States Postal Service web site.

    The annual effort is entering its 17th-year. This year’s drive is Saturday, May 9th.  The national effort is expected to raise nearly one billion pounds of food.  Yes that’s right Billion with a B!  Once again this year the U.S. Postal Service and Campbell Soup Company are major supporters.

Our Local Postal Connection  

Locally, Jill and her fellow letter carriers are asking customers to place a box or can of non-perishable food in their mailbox before their letter carrier delivers mail on Saturday May 9th 2009.  The letter carriers will do all the rest.  The food is taken back to the postal station, sorted and delivered to the area food bank or pantry ready for area families in need. The event is co-sponsored in the county by the United Way of Addison County.

    Nationally 35.5 million people face hunger every day in America.  13-million children are going hungry.  Jill Charbonneau and her fellow letter carriers expect to collect over 2 and one half tons of food here in the county.  A postcard will be mailed to alert customers about the event and will arrive the week of the event.  “We will pick up the food left in the mail box or near the mailbox.” (It is suggested that food left outside the mail box be covered to protect from rain especially boxes.)  “Letter carriers in Middlebury and the surrounding towns will be looking forward to this year’s event.”  Gill leaves us with another important thought: “Local well stocked food shelves are needed now more than ever especially in this economy.  A child who was getting a meal during school will soon be out of school for the summer.”  The NALC Food Drive can help to fill this void.  For further information or questions ask your letter carrier or contact your local Addison County post office.

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