Annual Food Drive Kicks Off This Weekend

Forsyth County letter carriers are again asking citizens to donate food to help the hungry during this weekend's food drive.

For the past three years the has partnered with to help "Stamp Out Hunger," on the national level this is the 18 year.

On Friday and Saturday, May 13 and 14, residents are encouraged to fill a bag with non-breakable, non-perishable food items and leave next to their mailbox for the letter carrier to pick up when they deliver mail. Food can also be dropped off at the Cumming Post Office on Tribble Gap Road.

"In our lobby we have a container and anybody who would like to drop off food this week and next week--we'll still collect it--that way we can give it to the local food pantries," said Cumming Postmaster Ann Berger.

Berger points out letter carriers put extra time in to pick up the food, but are happy to do so.

"We feel like it's a really good way to give back to the community and to help out where help is needed," said Berger.

The food drive in many other communities are held in one day, but here in Forsyth County, Melissa Corliss, Director Community Impact with United Way of Forsyth County, explains why the extra day.

"We just felt like we would have more participation over a two day period" she said. "It gives those a chance if they missed the 13, then they still have Saturday to do it."

During the first year of the drive about one ton of food was collected, last year that amount jumped up to 12.5 tons. Corliss credits the huge increase to the 44,000 flyers the United Way gave to the post office for letter carriers to distribute along their routes.

"We think that extra information really made a difference," she said. "We think the awareness grew and the two days made a difference."

Ten local food pantries will receive the food collected during this weekend's food drive, as well as the food collected at the post office.

"Stamp Out Hunger" is presented locally by United Way of Forsyth County and co-sponsored by: National Rural Association of Letter Carriers, National Association of Letter Carriers, Campbell's, United States Postal Service, United Way, Publix Super Markets, Valpak and Feeding America.