Letter carriers, Jaycees collect 8,000 pounds of food for Salvation Army
Published 6:46 am Monday, November 23, 2009
The weak economy didn’t seem to make a difference in Austin’s city wide food drive Saturday.
More than 8,000 pounds of food — 8,012 to be exact — was collected for the Salvation Army, an increase of about 1,000 pounds over last year.
“It kind of astonished me because I did not expect that high of an amount for the times we’re in,” said Mike Chavez, a postal carrier and a member of the Austin Jaycees.
The November event is in its third year and is a joint effort between the Austin Jaycees and the Austin Post Office, with help from the Austin High School’s National Honor Society program.
The letter carriers also put on a food drive each May and have been hosting similar drives for at least 18 years.
For Saturday’s event, residents placed food donations on their front porch, with items ranging from cereal to toilet paper to canned goods.
Volunteers then canvassed Austin over a four-hour period in vehicles, picking up the food and taking it back to the post office. Letter carriers collected whatever was missed along their routes later that day.
“Overall, I was extremely impressed, not only with the people who were giving, but with the kids too,” Chavez said, noting that 13 members of the National Honor Society helped with the cause.
In addition, 31 employees of the post office volunteered for the food drive, along with seven members of the Austin Jaycees.
Chavez said that in the northwest section of Austin he helped with, most of the houses donated to the cause.
“I would say it was 80 percent coverage,” he said.
Chavez said Salvation Army officials claimed all of the donations Saturday afternoon.