BY CHRIS McDANIEL – SUN STAFF WRITER 2010-05-16 21:10:19
The 18th annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive was a great success and brought in more than 35,000 pounds of nonperishable food that was donated to Crossroads Mission.
That is 5,000 more pounds than in the 2009 food drive.
“We did absolutely fabulous this year,” said Barbara Rochester, Crossroads Mission public relations director. “The turnout was great. People even came by the post office and dropped it off themselves if they forgot to put it out. It was just wonderful.”
The food drive was sponsored by the local post office and the National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 1642 of Yuma.
On May 8, letter carriers with the U.S. Postal Service nationwide and across Yuma County delivered mail and picked up nonperishable food items left near the mailboxes of people’s homes.
The food was taken back to the post office, where it was sorted by over 75 volunteers. The food will keep the people living at the mission well fed for nearly half a year, Rochester said.
“The canned goods will last at least six months, but we still need ground beef, hot dogs, chicken, fresh vegetables and salads.”
The food is being stored in refrigerated facilities donated by a local storage company and an agriculture company.
“I think people are concerned about other people who have been laid off, and I think there is more compassion right now to help others,” Rochester said.
According to their website, Crossroads Mission offers life-changing, individualized programs and services leading to stable employment and independent living. The programs include emergency shelter for homeless men, women and families, free meals, a drug and alcohol stabilization treatment and recovery program, and transitional housing for men and women.
For more information about Crossroads Mission or to donate or volunteer, call 726-0491 or log on to www.crossroadsmission.org.
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