By Meg Peters
Review Co-Editor
Last year the 37,000 lbs. of food Lake Orion and Oxford postal carriers swept up at the end of residents’ driveways lasted the Oxford/Orion FISH two months.
It was the biggest haul ever for the Stamp Out Hunger food drive.
“We were bombarded last year, we’re trying to be a little more prepared this year,” FISH Vice President Julie Howald said laughing.
It’s time again, this Saturday, for the 24th annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive, the largest in the United States according to the National Association of Letter Carriers and United States Postal Service.
To participate just leave any amount of non-perishable food items by your mail box, and local postal carriers here and throughout the nation will swoop by to pick them up.
All donations from Orion and Oxford will be given to the local food bank, FISH, who serves over 175 families, or “our neighbors” as Howald said.
“Our community is fabulous, anything we ask for they step up and help,” she said.
FISH gives away about 17,000 lbs of food every month to feed over 500 residents from Lake Orion, Oxford, Addison and Oakland townships.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 50 million Americans are food insecure, living at risk of hunger, including nearly 16 million hungry children, and 4.8 million hungry seniors.
Individual shoppers who qualify for the once-monthly visit to FISH receive about 60 lbs of food each, and families of seven get about 200 lbs each Howald said.
Between the Stamp Out Hunger food drive, the schools’ food drive for Thanksgiving, and Orion Area Neighborhood Television’s (ONTV) 5 for 5 Food Drive, FISH utilizes Meijer’s Simply Give program, their Adopt A Shelf program, or purchases their own food.
On FISH’s wish list for May is canned tuna, canned chicken, broth, chili, mandarin oranges, canned tomatoes, evaporated milk, soup and northern beans, just for a few examples.
Howald said to make sure none of the food is expired. Even though Stamp out Hunger is FISH”s largest food drive, about one-quarter of food items FISH received last year was expired and could not be put on shelves.
Residents are also asked to place their donations in sturdy bags to help out the postal carriers who will be getting their share of lifting along their routes.
Saturday is one of the busiest days of the year for postal carriers.
“If it runs into over time, it runs into overtime, but it’s a labor of love. We don’t mind it. It’s really good for the community and it brings us all together,” Sheila Jones, a 18-year Lake Orion postal carrier, and 31 year U.S. carrier, said.
After postal carriers bring all the bounty back to the post office, volunteer drivers shuttle the food to FISH’s headquarters, 487 First Street in Oxford Township, and about 25 volunteers begin going through items.
Two groups have already signed up to help FISH the following week, including the Honors Society of Oakview Middle School and members of Oxford Bank.
For questions, or to help out FISH volunteers on the day of the food drive, or to help sort items afterward, call FISH at 248-628-3933.
For more information about the Stamp Out Hunger food drive, visit www.feedingamerica.org orwww.nalc.org/community-servicefood-drive.
“The FISH organization wants to thank the community for supporting us,” Howald said. “After all, its been 44 years we’ve been in business.”