Letter carriers preparing for 31st annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The 31st annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is back and will be taking place this Saturday.
It's the day when your letter carrier is not only dropping off your mail, but they're also picking up your food donations.
KDKA's John Shumway is here with what you need to know to be able to helo.
The letter carriers take a lot of pride in this effort, but it's also a lot of work.
On wheels or on foot, they come your street like clockwork, drop off of your mail, and it's off to your neighbors -- but on the second Saturday in May, they hope to pick up more than they drop off.
Patrick Rothwell, Executive VP of the National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 84 says that every carrier in the country is invested in the effort and Pittsburghers do not disappoint.
"There's 19 installations in the city of Pittsburgh's 55 zones," Rothwell said. "Overall, it's close to 1.2 million pounds that the Pittsburgh area gathers."
Some folks will go to the grocery store to prepare. Others will just empty their pantry for the non-perishable items that the carriers are seeking on Saturday.
It's no easy chore for a mounted carrier, but it's especially taxing for those on foot whose job is already physically demanding.
"This day is even more demanding and challenging, but to carriers, they step up to the plate and they make it happen," Rothwell said.
Even though it means an extended day of work, the carriers take items and deliver them to the Little Sisters of the Poor church pantries, but that's not all.
"On Monday, the Pittsburgh Food Bank comes in with a tractor trailer and takes it all," Rothwell said.
Ad we've heard from the food bank already this spring, their demand for your help remains high so the letter carrier's efforts are greatly appreciated.