The Montevallo Post Office participated in the May 9 Stamp Out Hunger food drive of the National Association of Letter Carriers. City postal carrier Adam Moyes coordinated the local drive.

This is the third-annual drive in Montevallo. Each year’s effort has been very successful; this year the letter carriers collected approximately 1,500 non-perishable food items.

“The local food bank has come to depend on us to boost their food supply,” Moyes said. “This year, the need is even greater. With so many people out of work, there is a tremendous increase in the number of requests for assistance. The Stamp Out Hunger campaign is our way of giving back to the community.”

The national drive is the largest one-day food drive in the U.S. In its 16-year history, almost a billion pounds of food donations have been collected and distributed to the food banks, shelters and pantries dedicated to supporting families struggling to put food on the table.

The NALC were supported in their efforts by the Campbell Soup Company, Priority Mail, Valpak Direct Marketing Systems, United Way, Feeding America and the AFL-CIO. Postcards were sent to mail recipients requesting they place non-perishable food donations by their mailboxes on that Saturday.

Becky Smith of Brent is a substitute rural mail carrier. She was very excited about the amount of food given on her route.

“I collected 12 great big sacks full,” Smith said. “The people were very thoughtful; they hung bags on the mail boxes or puts cans inside the boxes so I did not have to get out of the car at each stop. These donations will be a big help to lots of people who are hurting right now.”

The Montevallo team chose Shelby Emergency Assistance as the beneficiary of their drive.

Because of the downward spiral of the economy, SEA is inundated with requests for assistance.

To make donations, please bring non-perishable foods (canned, dry cereals, pastas, sugar, flour, etc.) and/or hygiene products to their office at 620 Valley St. in Montevallo during regular M-F business hours.

Catherine Legg can be reached at clegg2@bellsouth.net.