Letter carriers picking up food for people in need

MOSES LAKE - The people who pick up your mail are hoping to pick up something else this weekend, too.

Saturday marks the 16th year the National Association of Letter Carriers offers its nationwide food drive.

In addition to the Moses Lake branch, 10,000 additional branches are collecting food across the United States, said Susan Hagaman, president of the association's local branch.

Moses Lake, Ephrata, Quincy, Soap Lake, Warden and Ritzville are taking part.

"It mostly goes to local food banks," Hagaman explained. "It's also put on in conjunction with Second Harvest and the United Way."

The association is asking patrons to put nonperishable food donations in a bag near their mailbox before their letter carrier arrives.

"And then we pick it up and we bring it back to the post office, where the food bank has a truck and we load it into the truck," Hagaman said. "When we're done at the end of the day, they go weigh it."

Last year the branch collected more than 15,000 pounds, and aims to reach a goal of 20,000 pounds this year.

"People have been very generous in years past," Hagaman said. "This year, especially, this year's different because of the way the economy's going, there's a lot more people especially going to need the help of the food bank. So we're hoping people will donate more, because of that."

Hagaman would find it "absolutely phenomenal" if 20,000 pounds are collected.

"It would really show the community's concerned about the disadvantaged, low-income people and children, especially," she said. "This is my third year of organizing it. Every year, we've outdone the year before by 3,000 or 4,000 pounds."

City and rural carriers are both collecting. People can also bring food to the Moses Lake Post Office on Saturday.

"We'll be collecting it here in the back," Hagaman said. "They can just drive up to the collection boxes and there will be people out there to collect it from them. If they live somewhere where they don't get mail delivery or they have a post office box, they can still bring it here."

There is also a collection point at Mama's Exxon on Patton Boulevard from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Carriers also take cash or check donations. Checks must be made out to the Moses Lake Food Bank. Donations can also be brought to the post office.

For more information, call the Moses Lake Post Office at 509-764-5507.