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NALC Food Drive Set for May 13

The 14th annual National Association of Letter Carriers Food Drive happens May 13. But there's already plenty of action around the Roanoke Valley to support this "Nice Day for A Drive."

Visit the "Stamp Out Hunger" web site www.stampouthunger2006.com
to add your household to the national count of homes planning to donate to the NALC drive. It's not required, just a fun way to connect and encourage people coast to coast. It's a great site to learn more fun facts about this important event!

It's a theme featured in the familiar cartoon donated by beloved Family Circus creator, Bill Keane. Local stations may also air public service ads with the Harlem Globetrotters to promote donations.

NALC Branch 524 and the Roanoke US Postal Service have designated six area post offices where carriers will bring donated food throughout the day. Volunteers over age 13 are needed at the stations and at the Southwestern Virginia Second Harvest Food Bank at 1025 Electric Road in Salem. Call 342-3011, ext. 19, for details and to volunteer or send e-mail to the Food Bank.
Cox Communications is sponsoring collection bags to be placed in mailboxes at 100,000 area homes prior to May 13. Like NALC postcards donated by Campbell's, a national NALC Food Drive partner, the bags will help remind people to leave food out for their letter carrier that day.
United Way workplace campaign partner companies are collecting food until May 5 in a first-ever pacesetter drive. To date, nine companies have arranged for their donations to be counted in the NALC event total. Salem FNB Salem Bank & Trust is inviting its customers to donate in 11 locations around the Roanoke Valley.

Don J. Vineyard, local branch president and event spokesperson, said this year's goal is 100,000 pounds. "This amount of food will last only about three months," he noted. "Our Food bank supplies more than seven million pounds of food to regional pantries and agencies serving low-income and needy people in 26 counties and 10 cities. And unfortunately, the need for food is continuing to grow. "

Contributing food is a simple process: just pack a bag or box and set it near the mailbox before neighborhood carriers make deliveries on May 13. Canned goods, cereal, rice and other dry goods must be unopened and bear labels with expiration dates and nutrition information. Glass packaging will not be accepted for safety reasons.

Collected food is donated to the Southwestern Virginia Second Harvest Food Bank, which is partnering with NALC, the U.S. Postal Service and United Way of Roanoke Valley on the community-wide event. Food collected by Salem letter carriers is donated to the Salem Food Pantry.

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