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Weekend food drive a success Agencies in Monroe County collected more than 31,000 pounds of food during the 14th annual Letter Carriers Community Food Drive, with more expected, officials said. The total exceeded last year's 29,000 pounds, Ken Hill, president of the National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 828, estimated. However, he said postal workers will continue to collect food over the next several days because of rain. "We still expect patrons to put food up by their mailboxes for the next couple of days because of the rain, but we're glad for the whole community getting together to make this a big success and we're real proud of it," he said. Hill said he won't know until the end of the week if local carriers won a challenge from colleagues in Lafayette and West Lafayette, who have traditionally collected more donations. "That part we haven't tallied," Hill said. "Our hopes are high. We will still be counting food over the next three to four days." Donors who still wish to give or did not have a chance to are asked to put nonperishable food - such as rice, pasta and canned goods - in bags and place the bags alongside their mailboxes. The letter carriers will pick up the donated food and deliver it to the Hoosier Hills Food Bank, which will distribute it to 86 nonprofit hunger agencies in six counties. But people can designate their food donations to be delivered instead to one of seven other agencies - Area 10 Agency on Aging, Backstreet Missions, First United Methodist Church, Martha's House, Monroe County United Ministries, Salvation Army or Stone Belt. Mail carriers in Bedford collected more than 13,000 pounds, and more than 12,000 pounds was also collected in Martinsville, Hill said. Reporter Dann Denny contributed to this report. |
Hoosier Hills Food Bank, Inc. is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt nonprofit organization and was incorporated in 1982. We can be reached at (812) 334-8374 or hhfb@hhfoodbank.org. |