By LISA NICELY
nicely@crescent-news.com
On Saturday, letter carriers won't just be delivering mail, they'll also be collecting food to help area food pantries.
The National Association of Letter Carriers' Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive will be held Saturday.
"This is the 14th year that we have done the drive in the Defiance office," said postmaster Steve Gorka. The Defiance office began its drive a couple of years after the national one began.
Gorka said the carriers are in the final stages of preparation for the drive, which collects non-perishable foods to help stock area food pantries.
Gorka noted the carriers are looking forward to the food collection.
All individuals need to do is place non-perishable food products (except for products that have expired or are in glass containers) in a bag and put it next to their mailboxes. Letter carriers will then pick it up and take it back to the post office for distribution to the pantries.
"The letter carriers including our rural route carriers do the hard work," he said. "They collect the food, bring it back to the post office where volunteers from the food pantries sort it by food type, so everyone can get a good mixture."
Individuals who have post office boxes may participate also. They can take their donations to the post office lobby and place it in the receptacle provided for the food drive.
Over the years, the Defiance post has collected a low of 6,000 pounds of food in 1996 to a high of 17,500 pounds in 2004. Last year, they were close to breaking the record, reaching 17,250 pounds "thanks to all the citizens in the Defiance community," Gorka said.
Gorka said the board of the United Way of Defiance County will be helping sort the food to go to the pantries.
Carrie Wetstein, United Way executive director, said she is grateful that the letter carriers continue to support the program.
"They go above and beyond," she said.
"I think that most people don't think about the food pantries during the summer months," said Wetstein. "Unfortunately that is the time when they are the busiest because the children are out of school. The food pantries really need this to get through the summer months."
Sorting begins around 10:30-11 a.m. and runs past 4 p.m. Saturday.
"The food pantries usually make two trips to the pantries to restock (during the drive)," he said.
The food drive will go on rain or shine.
"We are hoping for good weather and another record amount of food donations this year," said Gorka.
Individuals are also welcome to stop in at to the post office on Saturday for some lunch and conversation as the food donations are sorted.