On Saturday, May 12, the letter carriers of the U.S. Postal Service will be doing more than picking up your mail.  Every year, all across the nation, carriers take one day and make a great effort to stamp out hunger.  Kosciusko County residents are asked to join on this day and “hang a bag of food for the hungry” on your mailbox.  It’s the easiest way to give!

Local postal workers, in conjunction with the United Way of Kosciusko County, Campbell’s Soup Company, and local Post Office branches will participate in this year’s “Stamp Out Hunger” food drive.  This is the largest one-day, national food drive; and it gives people in our community the ability to donate to their local food pantry without traveling any further than their own mailbox.  Your help is needed to collect food for local pantries.

The post offices in Warsaw, Winona Lake, Claypool, Silver Lake, Mentone, Milford and Leesburg will work together this year to collect food for the local pantries.  Last year, 9,300 pounds of food items were distributed to local emergency pantries to replenish depleted supplies.

To take part in this event, all citizens need to do is place a bag of non-perishable food items such as canned goods, cereal and rice, on their mailbox before their letter carrier delivers the mail on that day.  Baby food in plastic containers and diapers that are collected will go to Heartline Pregnancy Center for children in need.  All donations of baby food and formula need current food dates, or it cannot be used.

The carrier will do the rest.

Letter carriers ask that you do not include fresh, perishable food or any glass containers, as they may spoil or break before reaching the pantries.  The food will immediately be taken to the post office and divided between the five county-wide emergency food providers in Kosciusko County.  Local food pantry’s including: Salvation Army, Combined Community Services, Mary & Jerry’s Helping Hands, Our Father’s House and Heartline Pregnancy Center.

Stephen Possell, executive director of Combined Community Services, said, “The Stamp Out Hunger food drive committee is asking you to take the easy way out and hang a bag of food for the hungry in Kosciusko County.  It takes each one of us doing our part to make such a large impact for individuals and families in our community.  Give what you are able to make a difference in so many lives.  The ‘Stamp Out Hunger’ food drive really is the easiest way to give.”