Carriers collect and deliver more than mail.

The Montevallo mail carriers’ Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive was a huge success this year and gave a real boost to Shelby Emergency Assistance’s food supply.

On Saturday, May 8, city and rural letter carriers picked up donated bags of non-perishable food items left at mailboxes and delivered them to SEA. Postman Adam Moyes, Montevallo’s branch coordinator, gave the drive a “best ever” rating, estimating that the total donated items in Montevallo amounted to more than 1,500 pounds.

Moyes explained that the nationwide drive has an 18-year history and this year they were on the brink of breaking through the 1 billion-pound level in the total amount of food donated. All of the food is given to local food banks.

Karen Pendleton, Director of SEA, was delighted with the contributed provisions. “Our need for donations increases greatly this time of year,” she said. “The demand is especially heavy during the summer when children are out of school. We look forward to this annual campaign that helps so much; we could use more of these types of food drives.”

She went on to explain that because of the continued poor economic conditions and the approaching summer, they need to fill their shelves to be ready to help those families whose children are at home and need the breakfast and lunch that they have been getting at school during regular school sessions. SEA has special requirements for child-friendly foods such as peanut butter, juice, cereal, Pop Tarts, ravioli, spaghetti and crackers. Of course they can always use cash donations.

Pendleton expressed appreciation to those postal employees who worked on this year’s Stamp Out Hunger campaign: city carrier Moyes, and clerk Derrick Lilly, as well as rural carriers Michelle Allen, Kent Bell, Amber Blackmon, Emily Carlee, Ashley James, Becky Smith and Greg Wallace.

Readers who would like to organize food drives, or make donations to SEA, may call Pendleton at 665-1942 or email her at karenp@birch.net

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