The annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is scheduled for Saturday but, for the second consecutive year, the COVID-19 pandemic will prevent letter carriers from collecting food at mailboxes. As an alternative, a pair of local post offices will be accepting food donations in their lobbies.
The National Association of Letter Carriers and partner sponsors are encouraging participants to give monetary donations online by choosing a local food bank from a list provided at nalc.org/food. The plan has incurred difficulty locally, however, as the Pilot Mountain Outreach Center, which normally receives Pilot Mountain area food donations, has not been able to be included on the list due to their own technical difficulties.
Since learning of the situation, both the Pilot Mountain and Pinnacle post offices have agreed to accept food donations. Collection bins will be set up in both lobbies with food donations now being accepted during normal business hours. Donations will continue to be accepted at least through next week.
“We really wanted to help. We’ve been doing this for several years and we know how important it is to this community,” noted Pilot Mountain Postal Clerk Angela Lachappelle. “
“Not all post offices are doing this, but this is something we care about and emphasize,” said Pilot Mountain Postmaster Tammy Reece. “We didn’t get to do this last year and we know how important it is. There are still hungry people here and we need to do all we can to help them.”
Reece said that anyone wishing to donate food who cannot take their canned goods to the post office should call to arrange for them to be picked up.
“We’ve always counted on this drive to provide food that people need,” Pilot Mountain Outreach Center Co-Director Jimmy Caparolie explained. “It’s our last major food drive before one at the end of the year.
“We realize this is just another effect of COVID, and we appreciate what the post offices are doing. They make an effort to meet the needs of their community, to help through a difficult time, and we’re grateful. We hope that next year things will be back to normal but for now, every little bit helps,” he said.
“We’re hoping that people will make their regular trips here to Food Lion for groceries and make a point to get something extra for the outreach center,” Lachappelle said. “Then they can drop if off here before they go home.”
Caparolie noted that, although it won’t be counted as a part of the Stamp Out Hunger Letter Carriers’ Food Drive, much needed financial donations can also be made to the center at any time. Contributions may be mailed directly to the center at Pilot Mountain Outreach Center, P.O. Box 190, Pilot Mountain, NC, 27041.
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com
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