Tuesday's Internet Edition, May 13, 2008.
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“We just like to give back to the community,” said Kirby Hodges, a Thomasville letter carrier. “Here at the post office, we’re all fortunate to have good jobs, and this is a way we can show our appreciation.”
The food should be nonperishable and put in a bag.
“Last year we collected 12,000 pounds of food on that one day,” Hodges said. ”We have 14 routes in the city and almost 20 rural routes, but any way you look at it, 12,000 pounds is a lot of food.”
That was a record amount for the Thomasville Post Office on Stamp Out Hunger day, but, unfortunately, record amounts are needed to keep up with the record demand.
“The first two days of May, we served 128 people,” said Terri Nelson, executive director of Fairgrove Family Resource Center. “That’s a record for two days.”
Nelson said records are currently unavailable for more-recent distribution at the resource center, but demand for food by those who can’t afford to pay for it continues to grow.
“The number of new clients averages between 10 and 15 a week, so the need for food in this county is growing at a rapid rate,” she said. “We had record-breaking requests for financial assistance in April, and at the rate we’re going so far, May could just be another record-breaker.”
Aurelia Sink, executive director of Cooperative Community Ministries is also noticing a similar trend.
“We’ve had a lot of folks in, and we have an urgent need for food right now,” Sink said. “The food seems to go in one door and out the other.”
Hodges noted that a Cub Scout pack from Fair Grove United Methodist Church will be assisting the post office employees in sorting and weighing the food. Today is normally his day off, but he plans to be at the post office helping with the distribution.
“It’s a joint effort between the postal service and the letter carriers,” Hodges said. “The letter carriers are paid their normal salary to make their rounds, delivering the mail, while they pick up the food. They donate their time when they stay after-hours, getting the food ready for distribution. Management at the post office cooks burgers and orders pizza for all of us who are working on this project.”
Judy Younts, executive director of Communities In Schools of Thomasville, sees her organization benefit from similar action by letter carriers and postal recipients around tax-free weekend, when the new school year is about to begin. She has also done some campaigning to get students in Thomasville Schools involved in the current letter carrier campaign.
“My hat’s off to the postal employees because they help me every year by collecting school supplies,” Younts said. “My staff and I distribute flyers to the schools, asking people to help out during this campaign. I can’t thank the letter carriers enough.”
Hodges certainly appreciates Younts’ gratitude.
“Judy is a great help to us,” he said. “The kids really seem to enjoy being a part of this.”
The lobby of the Thomasville Post Office has a collection area where food items can also be donated.
“I just hope everybody who can will participate,” Hodges said. “Just leave a can or two of food or a box of macaroni.”
There is hope that today will be a great one for Thomasville’s hungry.
“We sure hope the folks will respond to the postal carriers’ collection,” Sink said. “That will help the entire community.”
Staff Writer Kevin Reid can be reached at 472-9500, ext. 230, or at reid@tvilletimes.com.