Letter carriers food drive May 9

Published 10:03 am Tuesday, April 7, 2009

The National Association of Letter Carriers will host its 17th food drive in Austin Saturday, May 9.

Letter carriers Troy Nelson and Bob Rosel made their announcement at the Austin City Council meeting Monday. Mayor Tom Stiehm proclaimed May 9 “Letter Carriers Food Drive Day.”

Rosel said this year’s drive will also receive help from the Salvation Army, Austin Jaycees and Austin High School National Honor Society.

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“The need will be greater this year — I think we all realize that,” he said. “Donations are low. Usage is up.”

The City of Austin and its letter carriers challenge Albert Lea each year to the drive. Last year, Albert Lea won the contest. Austin collected about 8,000 pounds.

The letter carriers’ presentation was made after three middle school students read their winning Human Rights Commission contest essays.

“I find a synergy here,” Rosel said. “The human rights essays were read here today; my personal feeling is that freedom from hunger is a basic human right. It affects the entire human population.”

Citizens must put their non-perishable donations in a bag by their door for collection by 9 a.m. May 9. All donations go to the Salvation Army’s food pantry in Austin.

The nationwide letter carriers’ effort is the largest single-day food drive in the world, they said.