WINNSBORO – The local letter carriers in Winnsboro frequently do more than just deliver the mail in the town six days a week. They are dedicated in other ways as well, including collecting food for the needy in their community.
For many years, the letter carriers who serve at the Winnsboro post office and across the nation have collected grocery bags of food at homes on their delivery routes on the second Saturday in May, and delivered those bags of food to the food banks in Fairfield County. This year, that special Saturday falls on May 9.
In the more than 30 years since the food collection program began, letter carriers have collected more than 1.94 billion pounds of food for those in need.
In a one-day record in the United States, more than 11 million pounds of food was collected by letter carriers.
And giving back is not a one-day effort for letter carriers. Behind the scenes, they also collect funds for charities like the Muscular Dystrophy Association, they keep an eye on the elderly on their routes through the Carrier Alert program, assist their fellow letter carriers and their families during times of disaster through the NALC Disaster Relief Fund, and have even rescued victims of fires, crime, and other mishaps – all in the line of duty.
Since 1991, there’s been a national, coordinated effort by the NALC to help fight hunger in America. A pilot drive was held in 10 cities in October of that year, and it proved so successful that work began immediately to make it a nationwide effort.
Since 1993 food collections by letter carriers have been held on the second Saturday in May. The result has been astounding.
This Saturday, our Winnsboro letter carriers will be doing double duty once again – delivering mail and picking up food donations. So be sure to set out a durable bag of non-perishable food by your mailbox Saturday morning.
Your letter carriers’ participation in this good work is entirely voluntary so, be sure to thank them for their willingness to sign up and serve our community.