Stamp Out Hunger food drive Saturday

Johnny McMahan

May 07, 2008 08:20 am

— On Saturday, the Woodward letter carriers and rural mail carriers will take part in the annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive.
“Last year, nationwide over 70.7 million pounds of food nationwide was donated,” said Tommy Heath, a letter carrier in Woodward and coordinator for the food drive locally.
Heath said to participate you can leave non-perishable food items at your mailbox on Saturday, or you can drop them off in a hamper that will be set up inside the post office. Last year Woodward collected 11 full hampers of food.
“Postcards will go out to all mail and rural routes in the Woodward area this week,” said Heath.
This is the 16th year for the food drive and food collected goes to local agencies including High Plains Outreach Center, Western Plains Youth and Family Services, the Domestic Crisis Center, Woodward Community Pantry, Lincoln Avenue Baptist Church Food Pantry and the Living Word Pantry.
“Most of the agencies really need the food (for their clients),” said Heath, adding that even though the economy is good in the area, with high gas prices, there are still people struggling.
Heath said the agencies will be able to pick up food as early as Monday.
“We want to get the food to them as soon as possible,” Heath said.
While nationally only city letter carriers participate, Heath said in Woodward the rural mail carriers volunteer and area a big part of the food drive’s success.
“We pick up just as much food from people in the country as from people in the city,” Heath said.