On Saturday, May 11, 2013, a national food drive was hosted for the entire United States. The Natchez Post Office was an active participant in the gathering of food for the needy in our area.

The city letter carriers and rural letter carriers started putting out bags on Wednesday, May 8 and the good citizens of this community started putting out food on Thursday before the food drive even started.

This is the 21st annual food drive and every year it gets larger. I would like to thank Troop and Pack 168 of the Boy Scouts of America for all their help in picking up food in neighborhoods and in helping with the unloading of our carriers’ vehicles when they returned to the office fully loaded. They also helped with the loading of vehicles for the organization that received this food. We also received some surprise help from the Natchez High football team when a coach and several players showed up to help.

This is truly a community effort and could not be accomplished without the hard work of the city and rural letter carriers. They delivered all the mail of any normal day but they also picked up all food that was left beside each mailbox. A great big thank you to each and every one that worked so hard that day so that some family could have a meal when they are going through a difficult time. Three years ago we collected about 9,000 pounds.

Last year we collected about 28,000 pounds and this year we collected about 42,000 pounds at last count. How many times can I say thank you on behalf of all those that received this food.

We distributed the food to the following organizations: Stewpot, Battered Women Shelter, Calvary Baptist food pantry, Highway 61 South Church of Christ food pantry, Pilgrim Baptist Church food pantry, and First Church food pantry and Catholic Charities.

This effort involves the entire community and once again I want to say job well done Natchez and Adams County.

 

Adam M. Welch

Food drive coordinator