Post Office looks to Stamp Out Hunger

The Fort Scott Post Office is once again joining a nationwide effort to help end hunger in the United States.

For the seventh straight year, the FSPO will join hundreds of other post offices across the country to participate in Stamp Out Hunger, the nation's largest single-day food drive, which is co-sponsored by the Campbell Soup Company, the U.S. Postal Service, and the National Association of Letter Carriers. Millions of pounds of food are delivered each year to needy families during the annual food drive.

During their regular mail deliveries on Saturday, local city and rural mail carriers will collect bagged non-perishable food items to help needy families in the community. Food items that will be accepted include canned meats and fish, canned soup, juice, pasta, vegetables, cereal and rice.

Area residents who wish to make a donation should leave food by their mailboxes before the carrier arrives on Saturday. Food items that are in glass containers or have expired will not be accepted.

After all food items are collected, they are taken back to the local post office, sorted and weighed, and later delivered to The Beacon, a local food pantry and community assistance agency. Only donations at residences, and not businesses, will be collected.

During last year's food drive, FSPO employees delivered about 2,200 pounds of food to The Beacon for distribution to numerous low-income families in Bourbon County, FSPO spokesman Todd McDermed said.

While it is sometimes challenging for local carriers to collect the numerous sacks of food in addition to their regular mail duties, they continue to support the food drive each year because of its goal, McDermed said.

"I think the carriers really like it because it's a good thing," he said.

Postal carriers will continue to distribute information about the food drive on Thursday and Friday. Each post office nationwide must report the total weight of the donated food that is received during the food drive.

This year, advanced donations that are brought into the office, 120 S. National Ave., on Thursday or Friday will also be accepted, McDermed added.

For more information about the food drive and to learn more facts about hunger nationwide, visit www.helpstampouthunger.com.