Stamp out hunger

Local post office gearing up for food drive

The National Association of Letter Carriers’ Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is taking place on Saturday, May 11, all across the United States. The food drive takes place every year on the second Saturday in May, and Elaine Fulk, postmaster at the Newcastle Post Office, said that Newcastle has participated for several years.

“Since launching in 1993, the National Association of Letter Carriers’ annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive has grown into the nation’s largest one-day food drive, helping to fill the shelves of food banks in cities and towns throughout the United States,” claims the NALC website.

However, the food drive has not always had much success locally.

“Last year we did it, and we just didn’t have much at all,” Fulk said, telling the NLJ she is trying to get the word out about this important endeavor.

There are a couple of locations to drop off donations for the food drive on May 11, including the post office and Decker’s Market.

“Customers are able to just leave their groceries at their mail receptacle,” Fulk said, and Decker’s will have a cart designated for donations.

In addition to food, donors can leave soap, paper towels, cleaning supplies, etc., but no clothing items will be accepted. All donations go to the local B.R.E.A.D. office.

“I feel like today we see a lot of people suffering from hunger, especially children in our community, and I don’t think a lot of us realize how much children do suffer from this. … It just feels good to give back a little bit,” Fulk said.